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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




It IS the pleasure of the publishers to present to those who are interested in alfalfa, the man 
who declined an appointment as United States Senator, that he might continue to direct the 
affairs of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture in general and of farmers in particular. — 
Orange Judd Company. 



The Book of Alfalfa 

HISTORY, CULTIVATION AND MERITS. 

ITS USES AS A FORAGE 

AND FERTILIZER 




* * ♦ ♦ Spanish clover, such as hat 
Usurped the Occident and dwells 
On Sacramento's sundown hills, 
And all the verdant valley Jills 
With fragrance sweet and delicate 
As wooing breath of woman is. 

—Joaquin MilUr. 

By F. D. COBURN 

Secretary Kansas Department of Agriculture 



lUuBtmtrit 



1906 

Orange Judd Companv 

New York 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Coyies Received 
DEC e '906 

GeQyrle*t Enty 

'/'Hoi, 
ILASS A XXc/. No. 

COPY B. ' ■ 



Copyright, 1906 by 

Orange Judd Company 

New York 






^ 



^> 



G 



THERE ARE SOME SILENT SUBSOILERS 
THAT DO THEIR WORK WITH EASE, AND, 
IN THEIR WAY, MORE EFFECTUALLY 
THAN ANY TEAM OR PLOW EVER 
HITCHED. THE CLOVER PLANT IS RIGHT- 
EOUSLY FAMED AS ONE OF THESE, BUT 
ALFALFA IS ITS SUPERIOR. ITS ROOTS 
WORK SUNDAY AS WELL AS SATURDAY, 
NIGHT AND DAY; THEY STRIKE 5, 10, 15 OR 
20 FEET DEEP, MAKING INNUMERABLE 
PERFORATIONS, WHILE STORING UP 
NITROGEN, AND WHEN THESE ROOTS 
DECAYTHEY LEAVE NOT ONLY A 
GENEROUS SUPPLY OF FERTILITY FOR 
ANY DESIRED CROP, BUT MILLIONS OF 
OPENINGS INTO WHICH THE AIRS AND 
RAINS OF HEAVEN FIND THEIP WAY, 
AND HELP TO CONSTITUTE AN UNFAIL- 
ING RESERVOIR OF WEALTH, UPON 
WHICH THE HUSBANDMAN CAN DRAW 
WITH LITTLE FEAR OF PROTEST OR 
OVERDRAFTS. 



o a a o 



•* Its long, branching roots penetrate far down, push and 
crowd the earth this way and that, and thus constitute a 
gigantic subsoiler. These become an immense magazine of 
fertility. As soon as cut, they begin to decay and liber- 
ate the vast reservoir of fertilizing matter below the plow, 
to be drawn upon by other crops for years to come." 



The Author^s Foreword 

This volume, however strong its statements in favor 
of alfalfa may appear to those unacquainted with that 
plant's productivity and beneficence, is by no means pre- 
sented as an argument that everyone should raise alfalfa. 
It is intended rather as a conservative setting forth of 
what others have found alfalfa to be and do under wide 
variations of soil, climate, condition and locality; of its 
characteristics and uses; the most approved methods of 
its raising and utilization, and the estimates of it by 
those who have known it most intimately and longest 
as a farm forage crop and a restorer and renovator of 
the soil. 

The author believes in alfalfa; he believes in it for the 
big farmer as a profit-bringer in the form of hay, or 
condensed into beef, pork, mutton, or products of the 
cow ; but he has a still more abiding faith in it as a main- 
stay of the small farmer; for feed for all his live stock 
and for maintaining the fertility of the soil. 

To avoid the appearance of both special pleading and 
exaggeration the statements have been guarded, and 
many of a laudatory nature, which fully authenticated 
facts seemed to justify, have been omitted, as neither the 
author nor the publishers have desire or willingness to 
extol unduly a commodity so little needing it as that of 
which the volume treats. Alfalfa's strongest commen- 
dations are invariably from those who know it best ; none 
are incredulous who know it well, and none have grown 
it but wished their acreage increased. 

F. D. COBURN. 

Topeka, Kansas. 
1906 



Introductory 



BY 

Former Governor W* D» Hoard, of Wisconsin 

Editor Hoard's Dairyman 

I am exceedingly gratified by the preparation and 
publication of a new and larger work devoted to the sub- 
ject of Alfalfa. The earlier effort by Mr. Coburn upon 
the same subject was in many respects a classic, and I 
am sure farmers everywhere will now hail with joy the 
advent of a kindred work by him, still more complete. 

It is strange, this late awakening all over the Union 
and in Canada to the feeding value and possibilities of 
this marvelous plant. Again, it is wonderful to me that 
within a few years farmers everywhere are being com- 
pelled to revise their judgment as to their chances of 
success with it. A large correspondence on this subject 
comes to me from every state in the Union and the prov- 
inces of Canada, and success is being had in the growing 
of alfalfa where not more than three years ago it was 
deemed impossible to make it live. Of course the ques- 
tion of growing alfalfa contains a thousand or more 
chances for good or poor judgment. Men who are not 
too conceited, too ignorant or too stubborn to learn by 
reading other men's experience will go ahead rapidly 
and soon make a success of it. 

I believe this alfalfa movement is the most important 
agricultural event of the century. For the production of 



and rightly cured alfalfa hay furnishes almost a perfect 
ration, requiring but a small addition of grain feed. Both 
of these can be cheaply and easily produced on nearly 
every farm in the land. In my herd of nearly fifty reg- 
istered and grade Guernsey cows these feeds constitute 
the sheet anchor of my dairy work. 

No one more literally abets the growth of two blades 
of grass where one grew before than he who effectively 
urges the cultivation of alfalfa upon those who are 
strangers to it, and no one is more truly working for the 
benefit of agriculture, the basis of all prosperity, than he 
who proclaims its excellence as the foremost forage. 

Hoard's Dairyman will do all in its power to enhance 
the circulation and reading of such a book as Mr. Coburn 
has made. 

W. D. HOARD. 

Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. 
1906 



Table of Contents 



Introductory .... 
The Author's Foreword 


Page 

viii 

3C 


History, Description 


CHAPTER I 
, Varieties and Habits . 

CHAPTER II 


I 


Universality of Alfalfa 


13 


CHAPTER III 
Yields, and Comparisons with other Crops 
CHAPTER IV 


20 


Seed and Seed Selection 

CHAPTER V 


27 


Soil and Seeding 


CHAPTER VI 


44 


Cultivation 


CHAPTER VII 


. 67 


Harvesting 


• • * * 

CHAPTER VIII 


. 79 


Storing 


CHAPTER IX 


. 93 


Pasturing and Soiling 

CHAPTER X 


107 


Alfalfa as a Feed Stuff 


, 125 




CHAPTER XI 




Alfalfa in Beef -Making 

CHAPTER XII 


. 138 


Alfalfa and the Dairy 


. 143 



CHAPTER XIII 
Alfalfa for Swine . . . . . 1 54 

CHAPTER XIV 
Alfalfa for Horses and Mules . , . 165 

CHAPTER XV 
• Alfalfa and Sheep Raising . . . .171 

CHAPTER XVI 
Alfalfa and Bees . . . . • I75 

CHAPTER XVII 
Alfalfa and Poultry , . . . .180 

CHAPTER XVIII 
Alfalfa Food Preparations . . . .182 

CHAPTER XIX 
Alfalfa for Town and City . . . . 1 87 

CHAPTER XX 
Alfalfa in Crop Rotation . . . .189 

CHAPTER XXI 
Nitro-Culture . . . .196 

CHAPTER XXII 
Alfalfa as a Commercial Factor . . . 204 

CHAPTER XXIII 
The Enemies of Alfalfa . . . , 206 

CHAPTER XXIV 
Difficulties and Discouragements . . . 220 

CHAPTER XXV 
Miscellaneous ...... 223 

CHAPTER XXVI 
Alfalfa in Different States , . , .231 



List of Illustrations 

Page 
F. D. Coburn Frontispiece 

A Typical Alfalfa Plant I 

Typical Stems and Foliage of the Alfalfa Plant I 
Crown of Plant Shown in the Preceding Illus- 
tration 6^ 

An Eight-year-old Alfalfa Plant .... 6 

Alfalfa Blossoms Enlarged 7 

Intergrading Types of Seed Between Alfalfa 

and Sweet Clover I2 ' 

Seeds of the Weed Known as Buckhorn . . 13 
Alfalfa Seeds Magnified Five Diameters . . 13 
Sweet Clover — Alfalfa — Yellow Trefoil . . 26-^ 
Three Distinctive Types of Alfalfa Seed Mag- 
nified Twelve Times 27 

Yellow Trefoil Pods . > 32 v 

Alfalfa Seed Pods . 32 

Bur Clover Seed Pods 33 

Sweet Clover Pods 33 

Three General Types of Alfalfa Seed ... 44 

Dodder Seed Magnified 45 

Alfalfa Seed Magnified 45 

Dodder Plant on an Alfalfa Stem .... 46^ 

Alfalfa and Dodder Seed. (Actual Size) . 47 

Dodder (Cuscuta avenis) 47 

Dodder {Cuscuta epithymum) .... 47 



X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page 

Peculiar Nodules in Groups on Small Rootlets 66 ^ 

Alfalfa Roots Showing Normal Nodules . . 6^ 

Gathering Alfalfa Hay into Windrows with a 

Side-delivery Horserake 78 

Cutting a Fine Field of Alfalfa .... 79 

Alfalfa Harvesting Scene in Yellowstone 

County, Montana 92 J 

Gathering an Alfalfa Crop in Page County, 

Iowa 92 

A Derrick Stacker ...... ... 93 

Mast and Boom Stacker, with Six-tined Jack- 
son Fork 93 

Box Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Sheep . . 106 •' 

Lattice Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Cattle . 106 

Box Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Cattle . . 107 

Lattice Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Sheep . 107 

Alfalfa Field in New Jersey 124 ^ 

A Second Cutting of Alfalfa (July 28) in 

Shawnee County, Eastern Kansas . . 125 
Steers Eating Chopped Alfalfa and Corn Meal 

Mixed 138 

Dorset Ewe Lambs in Alfalfa in Ohio . . 139 

Showing Advantage of Early Fall Sowing . 154 

Five-year-old Alfalfa 155 

Alfalfa One Year Old, Showing Effects of 

Inoculation 170 

A Good Type of a Four-year-old Alfalfa Plant 171 
Alfalfa Plant and Roots Showing Bacteria 

Nodules 196 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XI 

Page 

Tubercles on Clover Roots 197 

Bur Clover Pod ......... 206-^ 

Yellow Trefoil Seed Pod 206 

Alfalfa Seed Pod 207 

Spotted Clover Pod . 207 

And There's Still More to Follow .... 220"^ 

Dead Prairie Dogs 221 

Pot Culture Experiments at University of 

Illinois 230-^ 

Six Months' Growth of Alfalfa Foliage . . 231 

Putting up Alfalfa Hay 256^ 

The Hay-loader Picks the Crop up Clean and 

Quickly 256 

A Cable Derrick, Provided with a Grapple 

Fork 257 

A 400-ton Rack of Alfalfa 257 

Sweet Clover 288 

Yellow Trefoil 289 




A Typical Alfalfa Plant 

as it appears before the blossoms are developed. From Michigan Experiment 
Station Bulletm No. 225. 




Typical Stems and Foliage of the Alfalfa Plant 

when beginning to blossom the most suitable for hay. Grown in Shawnee county, 

Kansas, on unirrigated upland prairie with a "gumbo" or hardpan subsoil. 

From the season's third cutting, August 20; height 24 and 26 inches. 



ALFALFA 

(Medicago sativa, Linn.) 
CHAPTER I. 

History, Description* Varieties and 
Habits* 

HAS ALWAYS BEEX KNOWN. 

There appears no record of a time when alfalfa was 
not in some portions of the world esteemed one of Na- 
ture's most generous benefactions to husbandry and an 
important feature of a profitable agriculture. Its begin- 
ning seems to have been contemporary with that of man, 
and, as with man, its first habitat was central Asia, where 
the progenitors of our race knew its capabilities in sus- 
taining all herbivorous animal life, and where, possibly, 
it too afforded the herbage which sustained Nebuchad- 
nezzar in his humiliating exile, and eventually restored 
him to sanity and manhood. 

It was carried by the Persians into Greece with the 
invasion by Xerxes in 490 B. C, utilized by the Romans 
in their conquest of Greece, and carried to Rome in 146 
B. C. Pliny and other writers praise it as a forage plant 
and it has been in cultivation in parts of Italy continu- 
ously from its introduction. Some writers are disposed 
to aver that it was brought to Spain and France by the 
Roman soldiery under Caesar and early thereafter, but 



2 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

more probably it was not introduced into those countries 
until several centuries later. It is known to have been 
cultivated in Northern Africa about the time it was first 
brought to Ital}^; and the name "alfalfa" being Arabic 
the inference might be reasonable that it was introduced 
into Spain by the Moors from Northern Africa at the 
time of their conquest of Spain about 711 A. D., but this 
is of small consequence to the twentieth century. From 
Spain it crossed to France, and later to Belgium and 
England. It was highly spoken of by an English writer 
of the fifteenth century. 

AMERICA INDEBTED TO SPAIN. 

But in those ages Europe was not so much interested 
in agriculture as in war. Land tenures were not well 
fixed and ownerships were uncertain. Spain, however, 
was to perform at least two important services for half 
the world, if none for herself. She was to reveal to 
civilization a new continent, and give to it the most 
valuable forage plant ever known. And so, in 15 19, 
Cortes, the Spaniard, and his remorseless brigands car- 
ried murder, rapine and havoc to Mexico, but gave 
alfalfa. Less than a score years later Spain also wrote 
in Peru and Chili some of the bloodiest pages of human 
history, but left alfalfa there, where it has since luxu- 
riantly flourished. If it was brought to the Atlantic 
coast of the United States in that century, it was not 
adopted by the Indian inhabitants, who were not an agri- 
cultural people, nor by the early European settlers. 

It was not until about 1853 or 1854 that it was intro- 
duced into northern California, the legends say from 
Chili, but it had been grown by the Spaniards and 



HISTORY^ DESCRIPTION, VARIETIES AND HABITS 3 

Indians in southern California for probably a hundred 
years, having had a gradual migration from Mexico. 
Strange to relate, while it is even now on the Atlantic 
coast discussed as a new plant, there is good evidence 
that it has been in cultivation on a small scale in the 
Carolinas, New York and Pennsylvania for probably 
one hundred and fifty years. Certainly there are small 
fields in those states that have been producing for over 
sixty years, and there are to be found articles and letters 
written far earlier showing that it was then known and 
had been proven. One Spurrier, in a book dedicated to 
Thomas Jefferson, and written in 1793, spoke highly 
of alfalfa, called "lucerne;" told how it should be 
cultivated, and that three crops of valuable hay could 
be cut annually. In the "Transactions of the Society 
for the Promotion of Agriculture," published at 
Albany in 1801, it was favorably mentioned, and in the 
"Farmers' Assistant," printed in Albany in 1815, 
alfalfa was praised and the statement made of its 
yielding 6 to 9 tons of hay per acre "under the best 
cultivation and plentiful manuring." Yet its cultivation 
did not spread. The inertia of farmers, or perhaps their 
indifference to new ideas, in the early days must have 
been marvelous. According to Spurrier the difficulties 
were not considered greater than now ; he said one plant- 
ing would survive many years and the yield was three 
times as great as that of any other forage plant. The 
seed was no doubt introduced there from England or 
France; it was probably scarce, and difficult to secure 
from growings in this country. 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



THE NAME AND ITS ORIGIN. 



The name "Alfalfa" is from an Arabic word meaning 
"the best fodder," which honor it can certainly still 
claim. Many writers have assumed that the name 
"Lucerne" which it bears in France and England, was 
from the name of the Swiss canton, Lucerne. This is 
a mistake as it was not known there until long after it 
was cultivated in France and England. The name is 
probably from the Spanish word "Userdas" which the 
French changed to "La-cuzerdo" and later to "Lu- 
zerne," still later to "Lizerne" and then to "Lucerne." 

Among other names by which alfalfa is known are 
the following: Lucerne; French Lucerne; French 
Clover, in part; Mexican Clover, in part; Lucerne 
Clover; Lucerne Medicago; Alfalfa Clover; Chilian 
Clover; Brazilian Clover; Syrian Clover; Sainfoin, 
erroneously; Spanish Trefoil; Purple Medick; Manured 
Medick; Cultvated Medicago; Medick. Persian, Isfist; 
Greek, Medicai; Latin, Medica, Herba Medica; Italian, 
Herba Spagna; Spanish, Melga or Meilga, also 
(from the Arabic), Alfalfa, Alfasafat; French, La 
Lucerne; German, Lucerne, Common Fodder, Snail 
Clover, Blue Snail Clover, Branching Clover, Stem 
Clover, Monthly Clover, Horned Clover, in part. Peren- 
nial Clover, Blue Perennial Clover, Burgundy Clover, 
Welsh Clover, Sicilian Clover. 

Alfalfa belongs to the botanical family Leguminosae, 
or the legumes, of which there are thousands of species, 
and is thus related to all clovers, peas, vetches and beans. 
Its botanical name is Medicago sativa. There are some 
fifty species of the genus Medicago that are known, but 



HISTORY, DESCRIPTION,, VARIETIES AND HABITS 5 

alfalfa and one or two others are all that are of practical 
value as fodders. It is a true perennial plant, smooth, 
upright, branching, ordinarily growing from one to four 
feet high, yet in some instances much higher, owing to 
conditions of soil, climate, and cultivation. Its leaves 
are three parted, each leaflet being broadest about the 
middle, rounded in outline and slightly toothed toward 
the apex. The purple pea-like flowers instead of being 
in a head, as in red clover, are in long, loose clusters or 
racemes. These are scattered along the plant's stems 
and branches, instead of being especially borne, as in red 
clover, on the extremities of the branches. The matured 
seed-pods are spirally twisted through two or three com- 
plete curves, and each pod contains several seeds. The 
seeds are kidney-shaped, and average about one-twelfth 
of an inch long by half as thick. They are about one- 
half larger than seeds of red clover, and in color are at 
their best an olive green or a bright egg-yellow, instead 
of a reddish or mustard yellow, or faded brown. The 
ends of the seeds are slightly compressed where they are 
crowded together in the pod. 

Alfalfa is very long-lived; fields in Mexico, it is 
claimed, have been continuously productive without re- 
planting for over two hundred years, and others in France 
are known to have flourished for more than a century. 
Its usual life in the United States is probably from ten 
to twenty-five years, although there is a field in New 
York that has been mown successively for over sixty 
years. It is not unlikely that under its normal conditions 
and with normal care it would well-nigh be, as it is 
called, everlasting. 



6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ITS WONDERFUL ROOT SYSTEM. 

In its root growth it is probably the greatest wonder 
among plants. While it usually grows no higher than 
four or five feet (although it has been known to reach 
more than ten feet; an unirrigated stalk Is on exhibition 
at the office of the Kansas Board of Agriculture, measur- 
ing nearly seven feet) and its normal height is about 
three feet, its roots go down ten, twenty, or more feet, 
and one case in Nevada is reported by Charles W. Irish, 
chief of Irrigation Inquiry United States Department of 
Agriculture, where the roots were found penetrating 
through crevices in the roof of a tunnel one hundred 
and twenty-nine feet below the surface of an alfalfa field. 
Prof. W. P. Headden of Colorado found roots nine feet 
long from alfalfa only nine months old, and another 
reports roots seventeen inches long of but four weeks* 
growth, the plants being but six inches high. It usually 
has a slender taproot, with many branches tending 
downward, yet with considerable lateral growth. As the 
taproot is piercing the earth it is also sending out new 
fibrous roots, while the upper ones, decaying, are leav- 
ing humus and providing innumerable openings for air, 
the rains, and fertilizing elements from the surface soil. 
The mechanical effect of this root-growth and decay in 
the soil constitutes one of the greatest virtues of the 
plant, and by its roots alfalfa becomes, self-acting, by far 
the most efficient, deep reaching subsoiler and renovator 
known to agriculture. 

VARIETIES AND PECULIARITIES. 

There are several other varieties of alfalfa besides 
Medicago sativa, the most common being the Interme- 




An Eight-year-old Alfalfa Plant 

with 312 stems growing from one root G'own at IVlanhattan, Kan., on high 

upland prairie having a stiff, hardpan subsoil. Depth to water 180 

feet. Height of growth, May 6, ten inches. 




Crown of Plant Shown in the Preceding Illustration 

stalks renfioved to show branching crown 




Alfalfa Blossoms Enlarged 



HISTORY^ DESCRIPTION, VARIETIES AND HABITS 7 

diate Lucerne or Mcdicago media, the Yellow Lucerne 
or Mcdicago foliata and Turkestan alfalfa or Medicago 
sativa Turkestanica. None of these have such unquali- 
fied value as the ordinary alfalfa; in fact the first two 
are properly regarded as weeds when found with Medi- 
cago sativa. In 1898 when there had been reported 
many failures in the alfalfa districts of the extreme 
North and the extreme Southwest, the United States 
Department of Agriculture sent Prof. N. E. Hansen of 
South Dakota to Russia, especially the cold, arid and 
semi-arid portions of northern Turkestan, to discover if 
possible a more hardy strain of alfalfa than that grown 
in America. He brought back from there several hun- 
dred bushels of seed which was distributed to govern- 
ment stations and individual experimenters in forty- 
seven states and territories. The reports of its behav- 
ior varied greatly, some growers being enthusiastically 
in its favor, while most reported results below or not 
above the average from other sorts, and some practically 
a failure. It would appear from the consensus of opin- 
ion at this time that the Turkestan alfalfa has not dem- 
onstrated in America any such superiority as to justify 
its general adoption, even in the dry and warm regions 
of the Southwest, in our colder states, or in Canada. 

Among other claims for Turkestan alfalfa by the gov- 
ernment officials in charge of its introduction and 
exploitation have been that "its seed will germinate 
much quicker and the plants start into growth earlier 
under the same conditions than common alfalfa. The 
plants are more leafy, grow more rapidly, and have a 
stronger, more vigorous root system. Another advan- 



8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

tage which the Turkestan variety has is that the stems 
are more slender and less woody, the plants making a 
more nutritious hay of finer quality. That it will with- 
stand drought under the same conditions better than 
ordinary alfalfa seems certain from the reports of the 
experimenters. In the West and Northwest, at least, it 
seems to be more productive, both with and without 
irrigation." 

At the North Dakota station Turkestan alfalfa sown 
in 1901 yielded in the three years following (1902-3 4) 
at the average rate of slightly more than two tons per 
acre annually. 

Acclimation of alfalfa is a slow process, and numerous 
close observers think there are too many radical differ- 
ences in climate and possibly of soil between Turkestan 
and New Mexico, or North Dakota, to admit of this 
variety's becoming a pre-eminently valuable acquisition 
to America. It is thought more reasonable to let the 
American-grown alfalfa gradually accustom itself, as it 
will, to any particular region, sowing seed from nearly 
the same latitude and grown under as nearly as possible 
the conditions it will encounter in its new environment. 

In 1903 the Department of Agriculture began experi- 
menting on a small scale at stations in Arizona, Califor- 
nia and the warm regions with alfalfa seed procured by- 
Mr. D. G. Fairchild, from Arabia. The officials in 
charge observe that the plants from this seed appear to 
make a much quicker growth after cutting, and as a 
result of this one more crop in a season than is obtained 
from other alfalfa may be possible. It differs from 
other strains in having larger leaflets and in being much 



HISTORY^ DESCRIPTION^ VARIETIES AND HABITS 9 

more hairy, "It is thought very probable that by careful 
selection hardiness can be bred into Arabian alfalfa so 
that it will grow much farther north than it does at 
present." 

AN OPINION FROM HEADQUARTERS. 

As a latter day opinion or estimate of alfalfa from an 
official who is presumed to speak as an authority, with- 
out bias and knowing his subject, the words of W. J. 
Spillman, agrostologist of the United States Department 
of Agriculture, should carry weight. In an address 
before the eleventh annual convention of the National 
Hay Association, at St. Louis, in 1904, Professor Spill- 
man said : 

"Alfalfa is the oldest plant known to man; it is the 
most valuable forage plant ever discovered. It has not 
been appreciated in the eastern part of the United States 
until the last five years. We are now growing it success- 
fully in every state in the Union, and I believe it is safe 
to say in every agricultural county in the United States 
it is being grown with success. Two weeks ago I 
secured a picture of a field of alfalfa in South Carolina 
that was sowed over sixty-nine years ago. It was still 
in pretty good condition. I know of another field in 
New York State sowed forty-five years ago, and one in 
Minnesota that was sowed thirty-three years ago. All 
over the West there are thousands of fields of alfalfa 
that were sowed twenty-five years ago that are still yield- 
ing large crops. In Wisconsin alfalfa yields three crops 
of hay a year, and in Texas, four and five large crops. 
In southern California, below sea-level, where they 



lO THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

never have any frost, they cut alfalfa eleven times a year, 
and in Texas, south of the Rio Grande, they cut it nine 
times a year. 

"Alfalfa does not exhaust the soil. Nitrogen is the 
soil's most important element, and the one most liable to 
give out; the one the farmer is called upon to supply 
first. Alfalfa does not ask the farmer for nitrogen at 
all, because it can get its nitrogen out of the atmosphere. 
Four-fifths of the atmosphere consists of nitrogen. 
Ordinarily, plants cannot make use of that nitrogen at 
all; the roots of the alfalfa will leave in the soil eight 
or ten times as much nitrogen as was there before. The 
farmer who plants alfalfa, clover or peas does not have 
to get nitrogen from the fertilizer factories. I know one 
farmer who for the past eight years has made an average 
of eight and one-half tons per acre of alfalfa on irri- 
gated land in the state of Washington. I have heard 
of other men that produced twelve tons an acre in south- 
ern Texas on irrigated land. It would hardly be possible 
to produce that much on land that is not irrigated, 
because rain does not come to order. 

"I have lived ten years in a country where the horses, 
cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens eat alfalfa hay, or green 
alfalfa, the year round. It is the richest hay food 
known. Eleven pounds of it is worth as much for feed- 
ing purposes as ten pounds of bran." 

A most pleasing word-picture of alfalfa is that by 
Geo. L. Clothier, M. S., who has studied his subject 
closely in the field, the feed lot and the laboratory, and 
he paints it thus : 

"The cultivation and feeding of alfalfa mark the high- 
est development of our modern agriculture. Alfalfa is 



HISTORY, DESCRIPTION, VARIETIES AND HABITS II 

one of nature's choicest gifts to man. It is the preserver 
and the conserver of the homestead. It is peculiarly- 
adapted to a country with a republican government, for 
it smiles alike on the rich and the poor. It does not fail 
from old age. It loves the sunshine, converting the 
sunbeams into gold coin in the pockets of the thrifty 
husbandman. It is the greatest mortgage lifter yet 
discovered. -»«- 

"The alfalfa plant furnishes the protein to construct 
and repair the brains of statesmen. It builds up the 
muscles and bones of the war-horse, and gives his rider 
sinews of iron. Alfalfa makes the hens cackle and the 
turkeys gobble. It induces the pigs to squeal and grunt 
with satisfaction. It causes the contented cow to give 
pailsful of creamy milk, and the Shorthorn and white- 
faced steers to bawl for the feed rack. Alfalfa softens 
the disposition of the colt and hardens his bones and 
muscles. It fattens lambs as no other feed, and promotes 
a wool clip that is a veritable golden fleece. It compels 
skim-milk calves to make gains of two pounds per day. 
It helps the farmer to produce pork at a cent and a half 
a pound and beef at two cents, 

"Alfalfa transforms the upland farm from a some- 
time waste of gullied clay banks into an undulating 
meadow fecund with plant-food. It drills for water, 
working 365 days in the year without any recompense 
from man. The labor it performs in penetrating the 
subsoil is enormous. No other agricultural plant leaves 
the soil in such good physical condition as alfalfa. It 
prospects beneath the surface of the earth and brings 
her hidden treasures to the light of day. It takes the 



V 



12 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

earth, air, moisture and sunshine, and transmutes them 
into nourishing feed stuffs and into tints of green and 
purple, and into nectar and sweet perfumes, alkiring the 
busy bees to visits of reciprocity, whereon they caress 
the alfalfa blossoms, which, in their turn, pour out secre- 
tions of nectar fit for Jupiter to sip. It forms a partner- 
ship with the micro-organisms of the earth by which it 
is enabled to enrich the soil upon which it feeds. It 
brings gold into the farmer's purse by processes more 
mysterious than the alchemy of old. The farmer with a 
fifty-acre meadow of alfalfa will have steady, enjoyable 
employment from June to October ; for as soon as he has 
finished gathering the hay at one end of the field it will 
be again ready for the mower at the other. The homes 
surrounded by fields of alfalfa have an esthetic advan- 
tage unknown to those where the plant is not grown. 
The alfalfa meadow is clothed with purple and green 
and exhales fragrant, balmy odors throughout the grow- 
ing season to be wafted- by the breezes into the adjacent 
farmhouses." 



: ^ 



2. P 





Seeds of the "Weed Known as Buck-horn, 

<?ibbed plantain, English plantain, or Rib-grass, {Plantago lanccolata). Very commonly 

present m alfalfa seed, especially that of European origin. A bad 

weed, Magnification five diameters. 




Alfalfa Seeds Magnified Five Diameters 

Note the characteristic angular point at one end, typical of alfalfa. The kidney. 

shaped type, as in "a" is also characteristic. The rounded type "b" is rare, 

and resembles Sweet clover. Seeds marked "c" and "d" 

resemble Yellow trefoil in the projecting "beak." 



CHAPTER II. 

Universality of Alfalfa 

ITS WIDE DISTRIBUTION. 

As the history of alfalfa is traced in the preceding 
chapter the conclusion is reached that its distribution is 
not to be circumscribed by any hard and fast lines of 
climate and soil. It is grown profitably in every country 
of Europe, in central Asia, its original home, in Australia, 
the islands of the sea, and in almost every state and ter- 
ritory of the United States, and in Canada. Only two 
states, Maine and New Hampshire, and only one ter- 
ritory, Alaska, are left wholly in the experimental col- 
umn. Everywhere else there have been such results as 
to prove that it ought to become, in greater or less degree, 
a staple crop on practically every farm, dependent only 
upon more energy, faith and skill on the part of the 
farmer, and a natural acclimation. There are several 
other states such as Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecti- 
cut, Rhode Island, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ar- 
kansas and North Dakota where the experiment station 
experts are not fully ready to recommend it as a regular 
crop for every farm, yet, in each of these there are en- 
terprising farmers who have for years found profit in 
its raising. The station authorities in Vermont say that 
success with alfalfa there "depends first on the man, and 
second on the soil." 



14 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

W. R. Dodson, botanist of the Louisiana station, says 
it is his firm conviction that nothing will contribute so 
much as alfalfa toward making the southern farm self- 
supplied with feed for work animals, for the production 
of dairy products, and home raised meat. "I doubt," he 
also says, "if alfalfa does better anywhere outside the 
irrigated regions of the West than it does in the alluvial 
lands of Louisiana. We have had as high as eight cut- 
tings in one year, with a total tonnage larger than is had 
in Kansas or Nebraska, and our annual rainfall is sixty- 
five inches, or more." 

From Ontario, Canada, comes a report of a yield of 
four tons to the acre in three cuttings, on a clay hillside ; 
at far-off Medicine Hat, Northwest Territory, it makes 
a growth pronounced "phenomenal," and at the experi- 
mental farm at Brandon, Manitoba, three cuttings per 
year are harvested. On a gravelly hill in the District of 
Columbia a field was sown in April, 1900. Two crops 
were cut from it that summer, three in 1901, and the 
first cutting in 1902 yielded three tons per acre. In 
southern Minnesota, some thrifty Germans, not knowing 
that "alfalfa will not grow in Minnesota," have been 
raising it since 1872, while others were declaring it im- 
possible. A half-score of men in the sagebrush wilds 
of Nevada decided to try it, and in 1872 they had 625 
prosperous acres, without plowing and without irriga- 
tion. J. H. Grisdale, agriculturist of the Central experi- 
mental farm at Ottawa, (Bui. No. 46) says, "it is grown 
in Canada more or less extensively from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. It is the staple forage plant for winter in the 
dryer part of British Columbia, and it has been grown in 



UNIVERSALITY OF ALFALFA 1 5 

Southern Alberta for many years. It is not much known 
in Manitoba, but is possible of easy propagation in almost 
all parts of Ontario. It is, and has been grown long and 
successfully in Quebec, and is not unknown in Nova 
Scotia and New Brunswick." In Cape Colony, South 
Africa, "lucerne can be cut from four to six times in 
summer and from once to twice in winter, and is the 
greatest forage plant in the world." In 1901 the Brit- 
ish consul at Buenos Ayres reported alfalfa as covering 
"an enormous area in Argentina, and every year becom- 
ing more important." 

NOT PARTICULAR AS TO SOIL. 

While experts have been declaring that alfalfa would 
only grow in certain soils and in certain climates it has 
proven adaptability to nearly all climates and almost all 
soils. It produces with a rainfall as scant as 14 inches, 
and in the Gulf states flourishes with 65 inches. It gives 
crops at an elevation of 8000 feet above the sea level, 
and in southern California it grows below sea level to a 
height of six feet or over, with nine cuttings a year, ag- 
gregating ten to twelve tons. An authenticated photo- 
graph in possession of the writer, reproduced on opposite 
page, shows a wonderful alfalfa plant raised in the (irri- 
gated) desert of southern California, sixty feet below 
sea level, that measured considerably more than ten feet 
in height. Satisfactory crops are raised, but on limited 
areas as yet, in Vermont and Florida. New York has 
grown it for over one hundred years in her clay and 
gravel; Nebraska grows it in her western sand hills 
without plowing, as does Nevada on her sagebrush 



l6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

desert. The depleted cotton soils of Alabama and rich 
corn lands of Illinois and Missouri each respond gener- 
ously with profitable yields to the enterprising farmer, 
while its accumulated nitrogen and the sub-soiling it ef- 
fects are making the rich land more valuable and giving 
back to the crop-worn the priceless elements of which it 
has been in successive generations despoiled by a con- 
scienceless husbandry. 

Its introduction into Maryland was largely through 
the perseverance of Prof. W. T. L. Taliaferro of the 
agricultural college, who says: "The future for alfalfa 
for southern Maryland is bright, indeed, and with its gen- 
eral introduction will come a new era of prosperity for 
the 'lower counties.' Live stock farming will take the 
place of tobacco farming. The fertilizing elements of 
the soil will be concentrated at home instead of being 
shipped abroad. Larger crops will be raised. Soil im- 
provement will take the place of soil exhaustion; worn- 
out farms will be restored to their original fertility." 

THE ORACLES REFUTED. 

One by one the oracular statements of so-called ex- 
perts have been shown at fault. One said, "it will grow 
wherever corn will grow;" and as promptly men from 
New York and Louisiana rise and say that they are 
growing it where corn will not grow. Another declares, 
"it will not grow over a hardpan or gumbo subsoil;" 
at once a New York man reports a good field of alfalfa 
with roots fifteen feet long that pass through six inches 
of hardpan which was so hard that it had to be broken 
with a pick axe in following the root. A Kansas man 
writes that he has eighty acres that has stood five years 



UNIVERSALITY OF ALFALFA 1 7 

and promises to continue indefinitely, yielding 4 1-2 
tons from three cuttings a year, and the whole of it 
on gumbo soil where corn raising was a failure. An- 
other declares, "it must have a rich, sandy loam," and 
forthwith from the deserts of Nevada, the sand hills of 
Nebraska and the thin, worn, clay soils of the South 
come reports of satisfactory yields. Such results are 
significant, indicating better returns than any other crop 
brings from these varied soils, and that few farmers 
are justified in postponing the addition of alfalfa to 
their agriculture because of supposed hindrance of soil 
and climate. 

A NEW YORK EXAMPLE. 

As citing an example, and suggestive of the fact that 
alfalfa not only grows but flourishes in the eastern states 
where the claim has been made that it would not grow, 
the following by the editor of the Rural New-Yorker, in 
his journal of September 3, 1904, is forcibly to the point: 

"A farmer visiting the New York state fair this year 
will do well to take time to look at some of the alfalfa 
fields near Syracuse. Whether it means that the soil in 
this locality is well suited to alfalfa, or that farmers have 
learned how to grow it, it is a fact that the crop makes a 
wonderful showing there. You find it everywhere — in 
great billowy fields of green, along the roadsides — even 
in vacant city lots. The crop crowds in whether the 
seed is sown by hand, dropped from a passing load or 
scattered by the wind. The majority of the farms show 
great fields of it, and the character of farming is slowly 
changing as more and more alfalfa is cut. On fruit 
farms or small private places the crop is changing meth- 



l8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ods and habits. A few acres in alfalfa provides all the 
roughness needed for stock on these small places, and 
gives extra room for fruit or similar crops. In fact, the 
most interesting thing about these alfalfa fields is the 
way they are changing the entire conditions of the coun- 
try. It is similar to what happens when a new industry is 
established in a town or city. 

'The Grange meeting at a Mr. Worker's farm, was 
held in a great barn. He had delayed the alfalfa cut- 
ting so that the barn might be empty. Some other farm- 
ers nearby had already cut. I had a chance to see alfalfa 
growing under what seemed to me about the toughest 
chance you can give a plant. The city of Syracuse is 
buying gravel from his field, to use on the street. The 
workmen are digging right into the hiU,and it requires 
hard labor to pick up this tough, hard soil. As they dig 
they follow the roots of the alfalfa down. Some of the 
roots are quite as large as my thumb, and I am sure that 
many of them had gone down twenty feet at least into 
this tough soil. These big roots make plowing an al- 
falfa sod anything but fun. This is one of the few ob- 
jections to the crop. I had supposed that the plant does 
its best where it can work down into an open or gravel 
subsoil. I have been told by one who is called an 'ex- 
pert' that alfalfa cannot thrive on a hardpan subsoil, 
yet here it was going down into the toughest soil I ever 
saw, and covering the surface with a perfect mat of 
green stalks. Mr. Worker goes so far as to say that the 
tougher the subsoil the better the alfalfa goes through it, 
provided water does not stand about the roots. That is 
one point upon which all agree — the alfalfa cannot stand 



UNIVERSALITY OF ALFALFA 1 9 

wet feet. It must have water enough; that is why its 
roots go down so far, but it will not thrive in wet fields 
where water does not run easily away, 

"On other farms I saw the alfalfa growing at the top 
of steep clay hills, which were formerly almost useless 
for farm purposes unless stuffed with stable manure. 
Now that alfalfa has been started these hill-tops have 
become about the most profitable fields on the farm. At 
another place I saw a fair crop of alfalfa growing in a 
thin streak of soil over a rocky ledge. There were not 
eighteen inches of soil covering the solid rock, yet the 
alfalfa was thriving. I have been told that this is the 
condition under which alfalfa will not grow, yet here it 
was giving more forage than any red clover we can 
grow. I have said that the spreading of these alfalfa 
fields is changing the character of farming in central 
New York. It is not easy to realize just what this means 
without visiting this favored section. This new forage 
plant brings fertility and feed to the farm. It is just 
like having a fertilizer factory and a feed store drop out 
of the skies upon the farm, to get this alfalfa well 
started. Of course as the farmer learns what the crop 
will do he uses it more and more to feed both stock and 
the farm. It would not be a very bright farmer who 
would continue to grow wheat or some other annual 
crop which brings him $25 per acre when a permanent 
crop like alfalfa will guarantee $60. Some farmers are 
quicker to see this than others, but in the end the major- 
ity of them see it and then we see a change. These alfalfa 
farmers are giving a great object lesson, and their farms 
are more interesting than any exhibit at the state fair." 



CHAPTER III. 



YieldSt and Comparisons With Other 
Crops 

COMPARED WITH CLOVER. 

Many things are understood best through contrasts 
with others better known. In every part of the country 
certain crops are considered standard, and all others are 
judged by comparison with these. For example, red 
clover in most parts of the United States is ranked as 
the richest and best yielding forage, and the fertilizer 
and renovator par excellence. 

The Massachusetts experiment station after a series 
of tests reports that lOO pounds of clover contain 47.49 
pounds of digestible food and 6.95 pounds of proteids, 
while 100 pounds of alfalfa contain 54.43 pounds of 
digestible food and 11.22 pounds of proteids. 

The New Jersey station reports that the average yield 
per annum of green clover to the acre is 14,000 pounds, 
and of green alfalfa 36,500 pounds; the protein in the 
clover is 616 pounds and in the alfalfa, 2214 pounds; one 
ton of alfalfa has 265 pounds of protein, and clover only 
246 pounds. But alfalfa will produce three, four, or 
more cuttings each year, while clover will produce but 
one or at most two. Further, clover will ordinarily sur- 
vive but two years, while alfalfa will last from ten to one 



YIELDS AND COMPARISONS WITH OTHER CROPS 21 

hundred, thus saving many plowings and seedmgs. It 
is also estimated that the stubble and root-growth of 
alfalfa are worth at least four times as much for humus 
as are those of clover, while the mechanical and other 
beneficent effects of the long alfalfa roots far excel those 
of clover. The alfalfa field is green for pasturage a 
month earlier in the spring than clover and may be 
mowed a month earlier. It starts a vigorous growth at 
once after cutting, covering the ground with its luxu- 
riant foliage before the second growth of clover has made 
any substantial progress. 

The Wisconsin experiment station says that "one acre 
of alfalfa yields as much protein as three acres of clover, 
as much as nine acres of timothy and twelve times as 
much as an acre of brome grass." 

COMPARISONS WITH SEVERAL GRASSES. 



Plat No. 



Variety Grown 

June Clover 

Mammoth Clover 

Alsike Clover 

Alfalfa (first cutting) 26 

inches high, June 29th. 

Blue-grass 

Orchard grass 

Timothy 

Red-top 

Meadow fescue 

Tall meadow oat grass.. . 

Italian rye grass 

Timothy, blue-grass and 

orchard grass mixed. . . 



Hay, lbs. 



Yield per acre, lbs. 



3 
4* 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 
II 

I2t 



473 
475 
413 

816 

575 
478 
560 
470 

375 
600 



203 



2,36s 

2.375 
2,06s 

4,080 

2,87s 
2,390 
3,800 
2,350 
1,87s 
3,000 



1,015 



*The alfalfa plat yielded a second cutting 26 inches high on August 2nd, and a 
third 24 inches high September ist; there was also a six-inch after-growth estimated 
at 180 pounds. The total alfalfa yield was equivalent, "approximately to 6 1-2 
tons of good dry forage." None of the other clovers or grasses gave more than one 
cutting. 

t Robbed somewhat of both plant food and moisture by an adjacent row of 
grown Cottonwood trees. 



22 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



>■ The Nebraska experiment station has made very care- 
ful tests of the comparative yields of various grasses, 
clovers and mixtures. These were on plats of one-fifth 
of an acre. The foregoing table shows the yields the 
second year from planting, which owing to the very dry 
spring was a quite unfavorable season . 

COMPARED WITH CORN. 

The Colorado station reports a comparison with corn 
as follows: 





Yield 


per 


acre 


of Com and Alfalfa 






Corn, lbs. 


Alfalfa, lbs. 


Dry Matter 


3.605 

296 

2,186 

1,060 

63 


5,611 
1,198 

3."4 
1,198 

lOI 






Fiber 


Fat 







INDIVIDUAL INSTANCES OF CASH RETURNS. 

A Lincoln county, Kansas, farmer writes that from 
five acres of alfalfa he received in one season $100 for 
hay, $150 for seed and $20 for straw. 

A farmer near Atwood, Rawlins county, Kansas, cut 
two crops for hay and threshed the third crop for seed, 
realizing 13 bushels per acre, which sold at $5 per bushel. 

A Harlan county, Nebraska, farmer reports an income 
of $774 in one year from seed and hay from six acres. 

Scott Bros., of Pottawatomie county, Kansas, report 
to the author as follows concerning their returns from a 
twelve-acre field in one year : 



YIELDS AND COMPARISONS WITH OTHER CROPS 23 

2 hay crops, 30 tons at $12 $360 

105 bushels of seed at $6 630 

Straw 50 

Fourth cutting 12 tons at $12 144 

Total, one year's return $1,184 

A Buflfalo county, Nebraska, farmer sold from a year's 
growth on 22 acres, hay worth $328.12, seed $1000, and 
straw $150. 

A Montgomery county, Kansas, farmer reports to the 
author a return of $106 per acre in one year from hay, 
seed and straw. 

Another report was sent in 1904 from southern Kan- 
sas, of five cuttings, making Syi tons per acre, which 
sold at $5 per ton in the field. 

SOME REPORTS OF YIELDS. 

A farmer of Harvey county, Kansas, reported in 1903 
two hay crops and one seed crop, the hay, seed and straw 
returning more than $50 per acre from a field that two 
years before had failed to yield enough corn to justify 
its gathering. 

Sixteen acres in Reno county, Kansas, are reported to 
have pastured in 1904 four hundred pigs and yielded one 
cutting of hay of over 16 tons. 

An alfalfa field of eleven acres in Washington, on the 
bank of the Columbia river, under irrigation, produced in 
1901 over 100 tons of hay. 

Former Governor W. D. Hoard, of Wisconsin, reports 
from three-fifths of an acre on his farm in the southern 
part of the state, four cuttings in one season, yielding 
5.7 tons of hay. 



24 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Alva Langston, of Henry" county, Indiana, sowed five 
acres of alfalfa May 20th, and harvested nearly lyi tons 
of hay per acre August 25th following, and about the 
same quantity September 20th to 25th. This was on 
upland, thirty or more years in cultivation. The alfalfa 
was clipped twice before the cutting for hay. 

In 1902 F. S. Kirk of Garfield county, Oklahoma, 
sowed a field near a creek, but about 25 feet above water, 
with thirty to thirty-five pounds of alfalfa seed per acre, 
broadcast. The soil, which he calls "high bottom," was 
a dark brown and contained considerable sand. For two 
years no attention was given the alfalfa except harvest- 
ing from it three crops the second year and four the 
third year. In 1905 he harvested from ten acres nine 
cuttings, estimated to weigh fully one and one-half tons 
each, per acre. The longest time between any two cut- 
tings was twenty-two days, and the shortest fourteen 
days. During the season of 1904 seven cuttings were 
made and the field was gone over with a disk harrow 
early each time after removing the hay from the field. 
It was possible to cut another growth of 8 to 12 inches, 
had he not preferred to use it as pasturage for stock. 

Mr. Kirk does not irrigate and maintains that in his 
part of the country "the best irrigation for alfalfa is with 
a disk harrow." He also insists that "alfalfa can be en- 
tirely killed by disking in the dark of the moon," espe- 
cially if the weather that follows is hot and dry. He past- 
ures his alfalfa with cattle and horses in fall and spring, 
and disks in the spring as soon as the stock is removed. 



YIELDS AND COMPARISONS WITH OTHER CROPS 25 
SOME MONEY COMPARISONS. 

A good acre corn crop in Ohio is forty bushels, worth 
not to exceed $20, after all the labor of cultivating and 
husking; the stover, if properly cared for, ought to be 
worth $5, making a total of $25. An Ohio farmer reports 
a yield of 4^/2 tons of alfalfa hay per acre, worth for feed 
as compared with the price of bran about $12 per ton, 
or a total value of $54, from only one plowing in six 
years (as long as he let it stand) and with less labor in 
harvesting than for husking corn and caring for the 
stover. 

The Utah station reports a cattle feeding test (Bui. 
No. 61) in which 100 pounds of gain from feeding 
alfalfa hay cost $3.76; from timothy, $4.71, and from 
corn fodder, $6.21. 

A good Kansas or Nebraska corn yield (far above the 
state average) is 50 bushels per acre, worth ordinarily 
about $17, with stover worth $3, The farmer should 
obtain from his alfalfa at least four to five tons, worth 
CO him for feed for cattle, hogs or sheep from $10 to $12 
per ton — practically two to three times his income from 
an acre of corn, while the cost of production is much less. 

The average year's corn or wheat crop is worth only 
about $10 per acre, while the average alfalfa crop is worth 
on the market from $15 to $35, or more, per acre, owing 
to the market appreciation of the crop, and from $35 to 
$60 as feed for stock. 

Many thousands of acres in western Kansas and 
Nebraska are now returning from their alfalfa fields an 
income of from $15 to $25 per acre where but a few 
years earlier the land was deemed worthless for agricul- 



26 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ture. Hundreds of acres in western New York that 
were returning only a small income above cost of labor 
and fertilization are now supporting great money mak- 
ing dairies from alfalfa. Cotton land in the South rents 
for $5 per acre, while alfalfa fields bring a yearly rental 
of three times that amount. 




*S 



cyj 






CHAPTER IV. 

Seed and Seed Selection 

NO SUCCESS WITHOUT GOOD SEED. 

It is a time-worn but no less true saying that good 
seed is essential to good agriculture. No matter how 
well the farmer prepares his land, no matter how much 
time, labor and money he spends on it, if much or all of 
his seed fails to grow, he will either have a poor crop or 
be obliged to reseed, thus losing time and labor. Many 
causes m.ay contribute to prevent a good stand, but if 
he can eliminate any one of these, he is by so much the 
gainer. Poor seed is a primary and great cause of a poor 
stand. 

The farmer obtains his seed from one of two sources; 
he raises it or buys it. If the former, there should be 
less danger, as the chief source of poor seed is careless 
handling in harvesting and storing. If the seed becomes 
damp, mold will damage much of it, or it will sprout, 
then dry out, and the germ be killed. If seed is bought 
of strangers or from a distance, the chances of poor qual- 
ity increase many fold. If all seed were bought of 
reliable dealers, there would be less cause for complaint, 
but farmers too often buy where they can buy cheapest. 
They pay for trash that is either full of harmful weed 
seeds or has a liberal admixture of old and dead seeds 
left over from previous seasons. 



28 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Before seed is purchased it should be tested for purity 
and germination. The adage that a dollar saved is a 
dollar earned well applies here; it is an easy matter to 
waste a dollar on seed, and when profit depends on avoid- 
ance of useless expenditure the use of inferior seed 
points its own moral. 

IMPORTANCE OF SIMILAR CONDITIONS. 

The farmer who has brought himself to the point of 
introducing alfalfa upon his farm should be extremely 
careful in the selection of seed. In the first place it is 
important that he should sow such as is produced in 
about the same latitude as his farm and from a region of 
about the same rainfall, thus keeping in a line of accli- 
mation, and with the habits and habitat, as it were, of 
what he is seeking to raise. Next, he should not sow 
seed raised under irrigation if he is in a non-irrigation 
region. A Michigan farmer, for example, should sow 
seed grown as near to his latitude as possible, say, from 
Wisconsin, Minnesota or the Dakotas, or not south of 
Nebraska or Kansas. It is questionable, at present, 
whether it is wise or profitable to attempt raising alfalfa 
seed in the more humid districts of the eastern and south- 
ern parts of the United States. It may be economy to 
leave the raising of seed to those regions with the least 
summer rainfall, keeping always in mind the securing of 
seed grown under conditions nearly like those to which 
the seed is to be introduced. 

Speaking of the alleged different varieties of alfalfa, 
the seed of which is urged upon buyers by seedsmen, the 
editor of the Oklahoma Farm Journal pertinently says : 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 29 

"We see occasional references to 'dry land' alfalfa 
and statements that it's a kind that just longs for the 
hilltops so that it may turn off big crops of rich hay from 
land too dry and hard to yield good sorghum. Don't for- 
get that the one thing to look for when purchasing alfalfa 
seed is good seed, that will grow. It's hard to find and 
the price is usually high. When you buy it, buy subject 
to test and send a fair sample of about an ounce to your 
experiment station, where it will be tested without charge. 
At the present time there is but one variety of alfalfa that 
Oklahoma farmers should buy, and that is good alfalfa 
seed. There is no 'dry land' variety of alfalfa, and the 
much boomed Turkestan variety isn't as good for sowing 
in Oklahoma as Oklahoma or Kansas grown seed. Rich 
soil, thorough preparation, good seed well sowed, cutting 
at the right time, harrowing when weeds and grass 
bother, all these are requisite to success with this most 
valuable crop, and it pays for all the bother." 

Seed from Nebraska and northwestern Kansas has 
been generally successful through Iowa and Illinois, and 
is probably adapted to Ohio and southern Pennsylvania. 
Utah seed produces good crops in Minnesota, the ex- 
tremes of cold and heat in Utah having developed a strain 
that does well in cold climates. The writer would use 
Utah grown seed for New York, northern New Jersey 
and northern Pennsylvania, and seed from Wyoming or 
Montana for New England. On the sandy land of south- 
ern New Jersey, in Delaware and Maryland, the seed 
grown in southern Colorado and southern Kansas ought 
to do well. 



30 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Prof. H. M. Cottrell, formerly agriculturist of the 
Kansas experiment station, says: "One year I sowed 
20 acres to alfalfa — ig acres with Utah grown seed and 
one acre with imported seed; both showed a germination 
of over 98 per cent, and the growth was good from both 
lots all through the season, with no difference that could 
be detected. The next spring there was a good stand all 
over the 19 acres seeded with Utah seed, and not a single 
live plant on the acre seeded with the imported seed. I 
have seen several trials with imported seed, and never 
yet saw a good crop harvested from it. Usually after 
passing through the first winter there is from one-fourth 
to one-half a stand from such seed; the plants make a 
weak growth and, if allowed to remain, most of them die 
out in two or three years. Descriptions of the puny 
growth in reports of failures of this crop, given by east- 
ern growers, make one think that probably imported seed 
had been sown. No intelligent farmer would take corn 
grown in the warm soil and climate and long season of 
southern Kansas and expect to grow a good crop in New 
York on heavy soil with short seasons. It is even more 
difficult to succeed with so great a change in growing 
alfalfa, as it would have to withstand the long severe 
winter, as well as the change in summer conditions. No 
one should sow alfalfa seed without knowing where and 
under what conditions it was grown." 

New seed, other conditions being right, is always pref- 
erable, although that kept for several years, properly 
cared for, may have retained most of its germinability. 
Such tests as have been made appeared to show a loss 
in well stored seed of only about one and one-half per 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 31 

cent of g-erminability in five years. W. P. Headden 
(Colorado Bui. No. 35) after various experiments 
declares, "the results are positive in showing that the age 
of seed up to six years does not affect its germinating 
power." It is usually handled and stored by seedsmen 
in the ordinary seamless cotton sacks holding from 150 
to 160 pounds, and quoted and sold by the pound or 
hundred-pounds instead of by the bushel. The legal 
weight of a bushel of recleaned alfalfa seed is sixty 
pounds. 

Although the seed is handled in sacks for convenience, 
seedsmen say there is no good reason why it might not 
be safely stored in bulk in bins without any deterioration 
from heating, or otherwise. There might, however, be 
some degree of danger from weevils or other insect 
pests in warm weather. Exposed to too much light, seed 
will lose its bright yellow color and change to a brownish 
cast. When stored, dealers say, it does not go through a 
"sweating" process as do the seeds of some other forage 
plants and grasses. 

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF SEED. 

In years of large production in America and a short- 
age in other countries, considerable American seed goes 
abroad to Italy, France, Germany and Australia. The 
largest portion is consigned to Germany because exten- 
sive seed houses at Hamburg act as distributers to all 
portions of the world, from which they receive demands. 

In recent years the United States has been a buyer 
rather than a seller, and imports have been as follows : 

Tear. Lbs. 

1902-3 1,018,559 

1903-4 2,200,267 

1904-5 2,865,324 



32 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

According to the government authorities the bulk of 
the imported seed comes from Germany and France. 
That having the best reputation in Europe comes from 
Provence, (southeastern) France. A small quantity 
comes from Italy, but it is not generally considered to be 
of as good quality as that grown farther north. Seeds- 
men complain that many consignments of the foreign 
seed contain large quantities of Yellow trefoil and Bur 
clover. 

It is a fallacy popular among farmers and country 
seed dealers that great quantities of alfalfa seed are 
exported to be used for dyeing purposes. There is no 
foundation in fact for such a belief, and the exportations 
made, like the importations, are for seeding purposes 
exclusively. 

IMPURITIES AND ADULTERATIONS. 

A foremost source of danger and loss, aside from 
infertile seed, is impurities and adulterants in the alfalfa 
seed planted. Growers often are careless and do not 
examine their alfalfa before or at the time of harvesting, 
and do not reclean their seed after threshing, thus send- 
ing out among innocent purchasers seed mixed with 
those of weeds, inferior grasses and forage plants, and 
with various trash which adds bulk and weight but has 
no value. The commonest seed adulterants or impuri- 
ties are those of Sweet clover, {Melilotus alba), Bur 
clover, (Medicago denticulata) , Spotted clover {Medi- 
cago Arahica), Yellow trefoil {Medicago hipulina) or 
Hop clover, and the Dodders (Cuscuta epithymum and 
Cuscuta arvensis). 




Yellow Trefoil Pods 

The pods of Yellow trefoil are shaped as here shown and contain but 
a single seed. Magnified four diameters 




Alfalfa Seed Pods 



Alfalfa has a spiral pod of two or three turns, often containing five 
or six seeds. Magnified four diameters. 




Sweet Clover Pods 



Magnified four diameters 




Bur Clover Seed Pods 

The seeds are inclosed in a criled pod which is covered with bristly projections as 
shown above. Magnified four diameters. 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 



33 



That an extraordinary proportion of the alfalfa seed 
in the markets, wheresoever from, is adulterated to an 
amazing extent with seeds of undesirable plants or 
loaded with worthless, if not actually harmful impurities, 
is being demonstrated by the United States Department 
of Agriculture. In a circular pertaining to this work 
is given the following, showing the adulterants found in 
samples bought in the open markets of the cities named : 



Seeds used as adulterants. 



City where bought 



Providence, R. I.. 

Denver, Colo 

Rochester, N. Y. . 
Milwaukee, Wis.. 
Indianapolis, Ind. 



Marblehead, Mass. . . 

Petersburg, Va 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
Indianapolis, Ind.. . . 

Pittsfield, Mass 

Atlanta, Ga 

Salem, 111 

St. Paul. Minn 

Louisville, Ky 

New Haven, Conn.. 
Independence, Iowa. 

New Orleans, La 

Troy, N. Y 



Sweet 
clover 



Per Cent 



9.52 



Bur clover 



Per Cent 

3-47 

16.86 

5.02 

574 
4.27 

390 

3.00 



549 
337 



10.04 



'6.53 

5.8g 

12.69 

2-57 
6.23 



Yellow 
trefoil 



Per Cent 
32.86 



3948 

38'43 
39-53 

1.25 
38-54 



6.98 
3«-77 

39-85 

■ ■ ".63 
31.26 



Total 
adulterants 



Per Cent 

36-33 
16.86 
44.50 

5-74 
42.70 

43-43 
3.00 
1.25 

5-49 
41.91 

9.52 
10.04 

6.98 
31-77 
16.53 
45-73 
12.69 

3-20 

37-49 



In Farmers' Bulletin No. 194 of the United States 
Department of Agriculture is given the table on page 34 
to show the result of analyses of alfalfa seed imported 
within a period of six months. 

Bearing also upon the adulterations, impurities and 
defectives found in alfalfa seed sold in the markets, 
extracts from reports of tests made at the Wooster, Ohio 
station (Bui. No. 142) are exceedingly interesting. In 



34 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



Laboratory 
test No. 



21000. 
2I00I. 
21002. 
21003. 
21004. 
21005. 
21006. 
21007. 
21008. 
21009. 
2I0I0. 
2IOII. 
2I0I2. 
21OI3. 
21014. 
2IOI5. 
21016. 
21017. 
2IOI8. 
21019. 
21020. 
2I02I. 
21022. 
21023. 
21024. 
2I03I. 
21032. 

21033- 
21035. 



Alfalfa 
seed. 



Ptr Ct. 

93-38 

92.1 

82.28 

84.72 

89.16 

74.06 

58.74 

86.12 

73.02 

96.82 

86.2 

96.96 

88.84 

96.24 

91.06 

93 44 

7778 

81.52 

69.48 

96.5 

96.4 

94-4 

24-5 

94.14 

94.58 

87.72 

90.56 

89.04 

72.36 



Broken 
seed 
and 
dirt. 



Ptr a. 
5.8 

7-34 

15.92 

11.58 

8.78 

21.38 

3446 

"•34 

22.32 

2.72 

12. 1 

2.16 

398 

2.66 

5-44 

2-7 

16.04 
12.18 
23.78 

3-04 
2.82 
5.04 
70.96 
1.8 

3-44 
11.02 

8.08 
10.5 
27.1 



Weed 
seeds. 



Per Ct. 
0.82 
.56 
1.8 

3-7 

2.06 

4.56 

6.8 

2.54 

4.66 

.46 
1-7 

.88 
7.18 
I.I 

3-5 

3.86 

6.18 

6-3 

6.74 

.46 

.78 

.56 

4-54 
4.06 
1.98 
1.26 
i.i6 
.^6 
•54 



Number 
of weed 
seeds in 
I pound. 



2,160 
900 
3,060 
3.420 
2,700 

15,928 

32,420 
8,964 

12,829 

990 

3,060 

1,710 

17,299 

3.510 
7,650 
8,526 

16,435 

21,848 

23,082 

1,080 

1,260 

1,620 

21,070 

3.780 

3,060 

4,140 

3.420 

1,260 

270 



Number 
of dodder 
seeds in 
I pound. 



90 

2,520 

5,490 

270 

90 



360 
720 
8io 



4.950 



90 
90 



Alfalfa 
seed 
that'll 
grow. 



Per Ct. 

59-17 
66.64 

57^39 
62.18 

53-87 
28.78 
61.36 
49.65 
85.2 

55-59 
87.26 

43-2 

77-47 

62.14 

77.08 

47-83 

7-13 
5.21 

88.53 
91.82 
90.15 
6-34 
73-43 
51.78 
81.14 
76.29 
84.7 
64.58 



Amount 
imported. 



Pounds 
4,000 

30,800 
5,500 

32,877 
14,700 

7,613 
33,075 

8,779 
32,963 
33,000 
30,800 

5,500 
33,000 
21,340 

8,778 
33,000 
33.000 
16,280 
38,172 
44,000 
44,000 
72,600 
12,540 
234 

5.500 

143,000 

33,000 

6,673 
13,516 



fifteen samples bought, each of one dollar's worth, the 
quantity of pure germinable seed was found to range 
from 5.1 to 9.3 pounds; the number of noxious seeds 
found in a dollar's worth of that bought as alfalfa seed 
ranged from 360 to 185,940. Seven of the fifteen one-dol- 
lar samples each carried more than 23,000 noxious seeds. 
Seed bought at $7.80 per bushel showed as low as 61.2 
per cent that was germinable, of which the actual cost 
was $12.74 per bushel. None of the fifteen samples had 
less than yy per cent of germinable seed. One pound 
sample contained 21,728 noxious seeds, of which 18,144 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 35 

were lamb's-quarter or pigweeds; the same pound also 
had 3126 seeds of dodder. Another pound carried 6420 
seeds of crabgrass, and one had 3325 seeds of foxtail. 

The station authorities recommend that no alfalfa seed 
be sown until carefully screened through a screen fine 
enough to remove dodder seeds. Wire sieves or screens 
with twenty meshes to the inch are found to serve the 
purpose. 

ADULTERANTS DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED. 

As a further and more thorough discussion of the fre- 
quent adulterants, Prof. H. F. Roberts, botanist of the 
Kansas experiment station, has kindly prepared for this 
volume the quoted statements which follow here, also 
their illustrations, from photographs made under his 
direct supervision: 

"The immense and steadily increasing value of alfalfa 
as a forage crop in the United States, and the high price 
of the seed, make the securing of sound, pure seed a 
matter of supreme importance to farmers, and render it 
equally important for them to be able to recognize, by 
sight, the presence in alfalfa seed of the adulterants 
and seeds of certain weeds most commonly known to 
occur. There is conclusive evidence that an amount of 
adulteration and substitution is actually practiced with 
alfalfa seed. It is usually charged that this is done 
abroad, especially, as is alleged, in Germany. 

"The writer has been informed that, to a limited 
extent, the practice exists in America. The chief adul- 
terant used is the seed of the Yellow trefoil, or, as it is 
sometimes called. Hop clover or Black medick. There 



36 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

are about fifty species of plants known as "medicks" or, 
scientifically, Medicago; but it so happens that the only 
perennial species among them is alfalfa which goes under 
the botanical name of Medicago saiiva. Other species 
such as Yellow trefoil (Medicago lupulina) and 
Bur clover {Medicago dentictdata) , while they 
possess some forage value and are useful to a lim- 
ited extent, lack, for the most part, the lush, abun- 
dant growth .of alfalfa itself, and are notably inferior 
through the fact of their annual habit. It is because 
of its perennial nature, therefore, as well as on 
account of its rank, succulent growth, that no species of 
annual leguminous plant can hope to compete with alfal- 
fa for a moment in importance. This means, then, that 
any substitute for alfalfa seed, or adulteration of it with 
the seed of another related species, such as Yellow tre- 
foil or Bur clover, is distinctly a fraud of serious char- 
acter, despite the fact that the adulterants are plants that 
make fair pasturage and have some forage value. They 
are merely annuals, ending their life with the season, 
whereas a field of alfalfa should live twenty years or 
more, under right conditions. 

THE CHIEF ADULTERAXT. 

"At present, as stated. Yellow trefoil is the chief adul- 
terant used in American alfalfa seed. A number of cases, 
indeed, of complete or almost complete substitution of 
Yellow trefoil for alfalfa seed have come to the writer's 
attention within the past year. It is important, there- 
fore, for farmers to know the characteristic marks of 
distinction between the seed of alfalfa and of its chief 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 37 

adulterants. What are the chief characteristics of alfalfa 
seed? On accompanying pages are samples of nitre alfalfa 
seed, photograplied under a magnification of five diam- 
eters. It will be noted that seeds of three general types 
exist : ( i ) A kidney-shaped type, marked 'a' in the illus- 
tration; (2) a type in which one end terminates in an 
acute wedge, marked 'e'; and (3) a type that is round 
or nearly so, marked 'h\ These are seen clearly illus- 
trated herewith, under a magnification of five diameters 
arranged for comparison in parallel rows. It should be 
noticed that type 2 is the most characteristic and frequent, 
and that the perfectly round type is extremely rare. This 
angular slant toward one tip of the seed is found nowhere 
among any of the adulterants. Neither does the kidney 
shape of seed occur, except in Bur clover; and, in that 
case, the difference in the size of the seeds of the two 
species is sufficient to distinguish them, in most instances. 
"It is when we consider the round or roundish type 
of alfalfa seed that there is difficulty in distinguishing 
from alfalfa the seeds of Yellow trefoil and of Sweet 
clover (Melilotus), which latter frequently occurs as a 
weed seed, and possibly in some cases in sufficient quan- 
tity to be suspected as an adulterant. By comparison of 
the seeds of alfalfa with the two adulterants just men- 
tioned, the resemblances and differences, in the case of 
the three species, will become evident. In general the 
seeds of Yellow trefoil are shorter and rounder than 
those of alfalfa, the largest seeds of trefoil measuring 
0.0629 '"ch wide by 0.0897 i^ich long; whereas the larg- 
est alfalfa seeds measure 0.0653 i^^h wide by 0.1153 inch 
long; so that the largest alfalfa seeds are a trifle wider 



38 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



and more than a third again as long as the largest trefoil 
seeds. The smallest seeds of Yellow trefoil are usually 
plumper and shorter than those of alfalfa (0.05 ii inch 
wide by 0.0291 inch long, as compared with 0.0496 inch 
wide byo,o75i inch long in alfalfa) ; nevertheless, among 
both the small and the large seeds, so far as the criterion 
of size goes, individuals occur that equally well belong to 
either species, and the average differences in size are 




Yellow Trefoil: Black Medic: Hop Clover. {Medicago lupulind) 

not so great as the differences found on comparing the 
largest and the smallest seeds of the two species, the 
average for the trefoil being 0.0574 inch by 0.0799 ^^^^^ 
and for alfalfa 0.0582 inch by 0.0944 inch. So it will be 
seen at once that while trefoil seeds as a rule are smaller, 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 39 

shorter and rounder than those of alfalfa, the rule is 
transgressed by many individuals. We must, therefore, 
turn to the form and general outline of the seed. A 
farmer can detect at once an attempt to substitute wholly 
Yellow trefoil for alfalfa seed by the fact that in no case 
will the kidney-shaped or the angular-pointed types of 
seed he found in trefoil, whereas these always occur in 
alfalfa. 

"In the more common cases, where adulteration rather 
than complete substitution is practiced, detection is more 
difficult — is practically impossible, in fact, without the 
aid of a lens or magnifying glass having a power of 
about fifteen diameters. There are many seeds of tre-t 
foil which can scarcely be distinguished from certain 
rounded seeds of alfalfa. Generally, however, the trefoil 
seed has a little projection or "beak" on the middle line of 
the seed, just back of the scar marking where the seed 
was attached to the pod. This is rarely found in alfalfa. 

"Bur clover as an adulterant is probably not so fre- 
quently used as Yellow trefoil, since the larger size of 
its seed renders detection easy. Were it not for this fact. 
Bur clover would be a most effective adulterant, because 
its seeds resemble those of alfalfa more closely than do 
those of Yellow trefoil. There are, of course, smaller 
seeds of Bur clover and larger seeds of alfalfa that ap- 
proximate each other in size, but the average Bur clover 
seeds measure 0.0604 inch by 0.1188 inch, as compared 
with an average for alfalfa of only 0.0582 inch by 0.0944 
inch. 

"So far as the plants of Yellow trefoil and Bur clover 
are concerned, they are easily distinguishable from 



40 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

alfalfa. Both are of lower growth, as a rule, than alfalfa. 
Both have wider leaflets, which, in Bur clover, are like 
broad, inverted wedges. The flowers of these plants are 
yellow, and are borne in scanty clusters. The pods are 
wholly unlike those of alfalfa. While alfalfa has a spiral 
pod of two or three turns, and containing often as many 
as five or six seeds, Yellow trefoil has a straight pod, con- 
taining but one seed. Bur clover has a coiled pod, but 
covered with bristly projections that give the plant its 
name. Where adulteration or substitution is practiced, 
some of the pods of the substitutes are very apt to occur 
in the bulk seed, and they can then easily be identified 
and distinguished from those of alfalfa. 

"Seed of Sweet clover seems to occur frequently in 
western-grown alfalfa seed. The plant of Sweet clover 
(illustrated) grows to a height frequently of from four 
to six feet, bearing small, white flowers on slender spikes 
three or four inches long. Unfortunately, and unlike 
Yellow trefoil and Bur clover, Sweet clover is generally 
rejected by stock. On this account, it is a plant of no 
generally established value for hay or as pasture, 
although, in some instances, it is successfully used. The 
seeds of Sweet clover are of a golden yellow when ripe; 
those of alfalfa, trefoil and Bur clover being greenish yel- 
low. The seed coat of Sweet clover seed is covered with 
minute elevations, while alfalfa seed is smooth. The 
seeds of Sweet clover are rounder and plumper than those 
of alfalfa, and have a very pronounced groove between 
the main body of the seed and the ridge which marks the 
location of the rootlet of the young plant within. It is 
this ridge that in alfalfa seeds runs off, as a rule, in a 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 4I 

marked slant, but which in both trefoil and Sweet clover, 
especially in the latter, forms a well-rounded curve to the 
tip of the seed. No pointed or kidney-shaped seeds are 
ever seen in Sweet clover. 

A COMMON WEED IN I3IPORTED ALFALiFA SEED. 

"It remains to mention the most common weed found 
in imported alfalfa seed — the English or Ribbed plant- 
ain, or, as it is more generally called in the West, Buck- 
horn or Rib grass. This is a difticult weed to eradicate, 
and the presence of its seed should be watched for, and 
lots containing~any noticeable percentage of it should be 
rejected. 

"The farmer is often to blame for the poor seed of 
which he makes complaint. Prime alfalfa seed is expen- 
sive, and a cheap grade will inevitably be poor in quality, 
containing much dead seed, rubbish, and the seeds of 
many kinds of weeds. Where 'cheap' alfalfa seed is 
demanded it will always be sold, and buyers need not be 
surprised by its quality. On the other hand, there is no 
excuse or palliation for the offense of selling, under the 
name and at the price of standard alfalfa seed, seed of 
substituted species. It is the duty of seed dealers to ascer- 
tain beforehand the character and genuineness of seed 
that they sell under any given name, and this applies to 
the retailers as well as to the wholesale dealers. On the 
other hand, farmers cannot expect to obtain the best seed 
unless they are willing to pay the price it brings." 

DODDER SEED. 

The seeds of dodder are somewhat smaller than alfalfa 
seeds, but are not separated from them except by careful 



42 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

recleaning; consequently, they are often sown along with 
the alfalfa seed, especially in that which has been im- 
ported. If a field is badly infested, it should be plowed up 
and devoted to some other crop for a few years. Prof. 
F. H. Hillman of Nevada, (Bui. No. 47) says there are 
several kinds that infest alfalfa, but two kinds are espe- 
cially common and destructive in this country. Cuscuta 
epithymum is apparently the commoner. "The seeds 
of this are very small, and are almost sure to escape 
detection on casual examination of the samples ; yet, once 
recognized under the lens, their presence may be easily 
discovered. They are so much smaller than alfalfa seeds 
that the use of a sieve of twenty meshes per inch separates 
them from the latter when only free dodder seeds are 
present. Not only are various other small weed seeds 
disposed of in the process, but little if any alfalfa seed 
worth buying is lost. The few ripened flowers of dodder 
retaining matured seeds, which sometimes pass the 
thresher uninjured, may be removed by proper fanning. 
It is safe to say that no purchaser of alfalfa seed can 
afford to neglect sifting his seed carefully with a twenty- 
mesh sieve, which is the mesh the writer recommends for 
the separation of this kind of dodder from alfalfa seed. 

*' Cuscuta arvensis is another dodder as destructive, 
when once established. Its seeds seem to be less common, 
however. They are larger than the preceding, many of 
them being practically the same size as the smaller, more 
rounded alfalfa seeds, which they often strikingly resem- 
ble. Thus they are hard to detect, and cannot be 
removed without the loss of much small alfalfa seed. 
This should be the more dreaded of the two dodders, 



SEED AND SEED SELECTION 43 

because alfalfa seed infested with seeds of Cusctita epi- 
thynmm can be made practically free from them with 
comparatively little loss and expense. Not so, however, 
with seed containing Cusciita arvensis, which should not 
be purchased at any price. Dodder seeds can scarcely be 
regarded as an adulterant, yet as an impurity they are 
very common and most objectionable." 



CHAPTER V. 

Soil and Seeding 

VARIATE, YET UNIFORRf. 

In this double title we have a case of the widest varia- 
tions and the most positive and rigid uniformity. Alfal- 
fa may be grown in almost every possible kind of soil 
and under almost all soil conditions (save two), but 
omitting these the seeding, including the tilth of the 
ground, is based, so far as any future success is con- 
cerned, on perfect cultivation. The dictum, "Alfalfa 
must have a dry, warm, sandy loam, very rich" has 
become obsolete, as already pointed out. 

There are just two soil conditions that seem absolutely 
against the growth of alfalfa. The first is a soil con- 
stantly wet. The common remark, "Alfalfa will not 
stand 'wet feet'," seems to be the expression of a law. 
It does not do well where the water is nearer to the sur- 
face than six feet, or where in winter water will stand 
on the ground for over forty-eight hours. This invaria- 
bly smothers the plants; in fact it usually kills any crop. 
If water flows over the field for some such time, due to 
a freshet, the alfalfa is often found uninjured, if too 
much soil has not been deposited on and around the 
plants. Even in such instances fields have been saved by 
a disking once or twice, but it is wholly unwise to sow on 




Three General Types of Alfalfa Seed 

The right-hand column, kidney-shaped, a characteristic form, but not so common as the 

type in the central column. The left-hand column approaches more nearly 

the rounded type of Sweet clover. Magnification five diameters. 




Dodder Seed Magnified 




Alfalfa Seed Magnified 



SOIL AND SEEDING 45 

a field subject to overflow, or one where water rises to 
the surface in winter or spring ; likewise on a field so flat 
that water will not run off in time of a heavy rain or 
promptly drain out through the sub-surface. The time 
is rapidly coming everywhere when the intelligent farmer 
will not try to raise any crop on such a field, undrained. 
The alfalfa roots will find their way to moisture if given 
the right surface conditions. There are profitable alfalfa 
meadows in parts of Kansas where it is eighty feet to 
water, but there has not yet been found one that is pros- 
perous where water comes close to the surface, or where 
it stands on the ground in winter. 

The other kind of soil where alfalfa refuses to grow 
is that in which there is too much acidity. This is often 
the case where corn and wheat have been raised for many 
years, thus robbing the soil of much lime; a condition 
that may be remedied by an application of lime to the 
land just before sowing the alfalfa, harrowing it in 
beforehand or, if the seed is to be broadcasted, the lime 
may be applied just before sowing, when once harrowing 
will suffice for both, or it may be sown with a drill — 500 
to 1000 pounds per acre. 

A simple test for acidity is to make a deep cut in the 
ground with a knife, pressing the earth slightly apart; 
then push a piece of litmus paper into the opening and 
press the earth together. Leave the paper there for a 
few hours. If upon examination the litmus paper has a 
pink appearance it is proof of acidity, and this, as already 
said, may best be remedied with lime. 



46 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

SOIL PREPARATION. 

With the only two negative points considered, the 
more important conditions upon which success will 
depend may be discussed. One chief essential is the 
advance preparation. Many of the most successful 
growers begin their preparations two or three years 
before they sow the seed. There must be, by rights, the 
most perfect physical condition of the soil. It should 
have been plowed deep for at least two years, and in most 
fields in the central and northern states a two- or three- 
inch subsoiling along with a seven- or eight-inch plowing 
will be very helpful. 

If corn is to precede a spring sowing, the ground 
should have a liberal dressing of stable manure plowed 
under for humus, to encourage earthworms and to intro- 
duce the particular bacteria so essential to alfalfa's wel- 
fare or at least furnish favorable conditions for bacteria, 
and the harrow should follow the plow each day. The 
soil's condition should be like that for a garden. Care 
should be taken never to work with the ground when 
too wet, as such working almost inevitably results in 
clods and a baked soil. The corn should be cultivated 
often, and a liberal sowing of cowpeas just before the 
last cultivation, which should be shallow, has been found 
quite helpful. This crop will repress and take the place 
of weeds, furnish a rich food for fattening pigs or lambs 
after the corn is cut, add fertility to the soil, and also 
introduce bacteria similiar to the bacteria for the alfalfa. 
The cowpea, being a legume, prepares the way for alfalfa, 
its near relative. 




Dodder Plant on an Alfalfa Stem 




Dodder, Cusacta arvensis 

(a) A Cfoup of seeds (enlarged), showing the prevailing forms ; (a, b, and c) individual seeds 
having sonnewhat the form of clover seeds ; (d) a group showing the natural size. 




Alfalfa and Dodder Seed. Actual Size 




Dodder, Cnscuta epithynmnt 



(a) A group of seeds, showing comparative forms and relative size (enlarged) ; (b) a group 
showing the natural size ; ic) the embryo removed from the seed, showing the form it usual- 
ly assumes ; (d) a section of a seed, showing the manner in which the 
embryo lies imbedded in the endosperm. 



SOIL AND SEEDING 47 

KEEP DOWN THE WEEDS. 

It is always timely to. emphasize the very great impor- 
tance of keeping down weeds in the cornfield where 
alfalfa is to be sowed the next spring. If corn is husked 
from the field, the stalks should not be pastured except 
when the ground is fully frozen. Later they should be 
thoroughly broken, raked and burned, to leave the land 
in the best condition for spring work. If the corn is cut 
and fodder hauled off, the stubs should be broken in cold 
weather by a pole or other drag, and raked and burned 
as recommended for the stalks. This adapts the ground 
for disking and harrowing early in March. Then every 
ten days the field should be disked or harrowed to con- 
serve moisture, to start weeds and then kill them, and to 
bring the ground into the desirable tilth. Ordinarily, in 
the central states, sowing may be done early in April, 
while in the South this may be done by the middle of 
March, and in Wisconsin and Canada by the last of April 
or early May, although the dates are variable. Many 
report seeding in Kansas the middle of May, obtaining a 
clipping in July and a hay crop in September. Others 
report sowing in March and cutting a hay crop ir June. 
Some Wisconsin reports say that the first of June is early 
enough, while others in that state and in Minnesota prefer 
to sow two or three weeks earlier, and still others in 
Wisconsin sow in April. The important things to keep 
in mind are to have the soil right and the weeds disposed 
of, and to sow when the weather and moisture conditions 
are right. Alfalfa is a child of the sun ; permanent shade 
from any source is its enemy, and when young it is not a 
good fighter against adversaries of any sort. More 



48 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

failures are due to weeds than to any other one cause, 
and unfortunately all the weeds do not grow on the land 
of the farmer who is shiftless or neglectful. The latter 
is so benevolent as to permit his weeds to scatter their 
seeds to the fields of his neighbors. 

If a spring sowing is to be made on wheat ground, the 
land will be helped by a liberal dressing of manure imme- 
diately after the harvest, and by plowing and harrowing 
at once; then sowing about the last of August to rye or 
wheat for fall and winter pasturage, and to prevent the 
soil from leaching or washing. In the spring the land 
should be disked and harrowed for alfalfa, keeping in 
mind the point emphasized in the preceding paragraph. 
Instead of the rye or wheat, cowpeas may be sowed after 
the wheat harvest; thus both fertility and bacteria will 
be added to the soil, and the farmer have a valuable pas- 
ture crop for pigs or lambs. If the season is extremely 
favorable, a hay crop may be cut in early October. 

If potatoes are to precede a spring sowing of alfalfa, 
more than usual care should be taken to keep the field 
clean of weeds. Some farmers do well by sowing millet 
with the last cultivation of potatoes, leaving the potatoes 
in the ground until after the millet is harvested, and when 
the crop is dug the land is free from weeds. Then it 
may be harrowed or disked and seeded to rye for winter 
pasture. Some plow the potato ground in the fall and 
sow to wheat or rye. Certainly if weeds are present the 
ground should be plowed as soon as the potatoes are 
dug. The idea is to secure a fine seed bed and have 
the ground free from weeds, the great curse of the 
American farm. All things considered there is probably 



SOIL AND SEEDING 49 

no crop which leaves the soil in finer physical condition 
for alfalfa-sowing than millet, and none that is more 
unsatisfactory for a like purpose than sorghum or Kafir 
corn that was planted in hills or rows. 

In some states a clover sod is plowed under for alfalfa. 
If this is for a spring sowing, the sod should be plowed 
in September or October, disked or harrowed, and not 
infrequently a light sowing of rye for winter pasture is 
feasible. Then in early spring the land may be put in 
order with disk and tooth harrows. It is excellent if a 
liberal application of rotted stable manure is plowed 
under with the clover sod. 

FAIiL SOWING. 

Fall seeding presents fewer difficulties than spring sow- 
ing. Corn is not the preceding crop and hence the weed 
problem is not so formidable. Usually a fall sowing fol- 
lows millet or oats, cowpeas or potatoes. Almost any 
crop except the sorghums may be grown to precede 
alfalfa for a fall sowing; these should not be as they con- 
sume too much moisture. The land should have, if pos- 
sible, a dressing of stable manure the preceding winter; 
then in the spring be plowed deep and worked to a fine 
tilth for the summer crop. South of the latitude of forty 
degrees cowpeas is one of the best. They are legumes, 
and the bacteria that live on their roots are similar to 
those upon the alfalfa roots; they are also nitrogen- 
gatherers, taking nitrogen from the air as does the 
alfalfa, and thus they prepare the soil for alfalfa. 
Besides, cowpeas are a valuable forage, the hay being 
worth almost as much, pound for pound, as that of 



50 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

alfalfa. When cut off they leave the ground ready for 
disking and other preparation. Millet is also excellent 
for this purpose, leaving the soil unusually friable. 
Potatoes make a satisfactory preparatory crop, but the 
danger from them too often is neglect to keep the weeds 
down. As soon as the land is free, it should be disked 
and harrowed, and this repeated about every ten days 
until the time for sowing. 

RECENT PLOWING NOT DESIRABLE. 

It is seen that plowing for alfalfa just preceding thej 
seeding is not recommended. Plowing leaves the sub- 
surface too loose, thus depriving the roots of a sufficiently 
firm footing and making a fall sowing more liable to 
harm from freezing and thawing, and the spring sowing 
to harm from a dry summer. The necessity of the most 
perfect surface conditions cannot be too often empha- 
sized, and this too includes considerable compactness 
rather than a too light or ashy condition. There must 
be no clods, no stiff and stubborn lumps. 

If alfalfa is to follow clover, and to be seeded in the 
fall, the sod should be broken early after the clover is 
harvested and each day's plowing harrowed that day; 
then the field disked and cross-disked and harrowed 
again. After that it should be disked, lapping half, every 
ten or fifteen days until time for seeding. Alfalfa may 
follow timothy if the sod is not too old and stubborn, 
and it may be treated the same as clover sod. 

INTRODUCE BACTERIA BY PREPARATORY SOWING. 

Another form of preparation followed by many suc- 
cessful growers, men who do not complain about alfalfa 



SOIL AND SEEDING 5 1 

not doing well "here," is the sowing of a few pounds of 
alfalfa seed on the field two or three years before it is 
intended to sow for a permanent crop. Mr. Joseph E. 
Wing, of central western Ohio, a widely known farmer, 
stockman, and writer on matters agricultural, uses alfalfa 
in a regular rotation, and two years before he is ready 
to sow it on a given field as a main crop, sows clover and 
timothy along with two or three pounds of alfalfa seed, 
for a pasture crop. Thus the bacteria are introduced, 
and when the pasture is plowed for the full sowing of 
alfalfa, the disking and harrowing that follow distribute 
the bacteria throughout the soil, and the probabilities of 
a good stand are greatly enhanced. He sometimes sows 
two or three pounds of alfalfa seed to the acre with a 
wheat crop two years before he is to sow the field entirely 
to alfalfa. Another, in a state where the experiment 
station director still declares alfalfa-raising to be doubt- 
ful, writes that he has not had a failure in a decade, and 
his plan is to precede alfalfa with winter wheat, sowing 
a little alfalfa seed with the wheat, probably three pounds 
to the acre, and the next fall after giving the land a thor- 
ough preparation he sows fifteen pounds of alfalfa seed 
to the acre. Another reports pleasing results in two dif- 
ferent fields by sowing in the spring five pounds of alfalfa 
seed with clover; in two years the alfalfa stood thick on 
the ground, having crowded out the clover. If these 
plans introduce the bacteria into the soil, it may be won- 
dered why it would not be equally helpful to sow two or 
three pounds of alfalfa seed per acre with the oats or 
millet in the spring, preparatory to the thorough seeding 
to alfalfa in the fall. 



52 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Another man, whose profit in raising alfalfa has been 
marked, reports that his soil is very waxy and hard to 
deal with. He has met this trouble by listing his ground 
in the fall and leaving it thus open for hard freezing 
throughout the winter. He then disks and cross-disks 
in the spring, putting the soil in fine tilth, and sowing 
millet as a preparatory crop. He has occasionally sowed 
alfalfa in the spring, following the fall listing and later 
freezing of his ground. 

ALL CROPS DEMAND CONDITIONS. 

Alfalfa, like corn and cotton, demands certain condi- 
tions of the soil and certain constituents in that soil. 
Every crop demands its certain foods. All crops except 
alfalfa and the other legumes obtain practically all their 
food, including nitrogen, from the soil. The latter crops 
use nitrogen but get it from the air. Alfalfa takes nitro- 
gen from the soil only during the first few months of its 
growth, and thereafter not only takes its own necessary 
supply from the air, but a large surplus which it stores in 
the soil, available for whatever crop may follow. Other 
crops take much nitrogen from the soil, but contribute 
nothing to its enrichment. 

SPRING OR FALL SOV^TENG— WinCH? 

This has been a much argued question with experi- 
menters. Possibly it will be found to be of minor impor- 
tance in itself, depending more upon other conditions 
than the season. From the northern tier of states many 
reports favor spring sowing, yet from each come letters 
in favor of fall sowing. Several experiment stations in 
the South are in favor of spring sowing, yet report sat- 



SOIL AND SEEDING 53 

isfactory results from fall seeding. It seems pretty well 
established, however, that fall sowing is safer in the 
central latitude states, say including Ohio, Nebraska, 
Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Utah, and states within 
the same parallels. 

In other states prevailing opinions favor spring sow- 
ing. Nevertheless, when all conditions are understood, 
fall sowing seems likely to become the established prac- 
tice throughout tlie United States. This is in line with 
the system for the more staple crops and common rota- 
tion ; it gives opportunity to bring the ground into better 
condition ; the preparation and sowing come at the most 
convenient season, and one of relatively greater leisure; 
there is less interruption by unfavorable weather ; the soil, 
responding more readily to surface cultivation, permits 
the work to be done with less danger of surface water 
retarding normal root development, and the annual 
weeds being dead they cannot interfere with the first 
growth of the alfalfa. Sown in the fall, with time to 
secure some growth for winter protection, alfalfa will 
be ready to respond to the first call of spring, and for 
the mower early in June. Moreover, if it fails from 
freezing or other cause, little crop-time is lost. The 
farmer has but to disk and harrow in April or early May, 
and sow half as much seed as he sowed in the fall, and 
he will have prospect of a cutting in eighty or ninety 
days, at an expenditure of but a few pounds of seed and 
a little labor. 

DISADVANTAGES OF SPRING SOWING. 

Ordinarily, if a farmer sows in the spring, he has his 
old enemy, the weeds, to contend with. If the season be 



54 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

damp and cloudy, the alfalfa may not grow fast, but 
weeds will. Therefore, June may see him mowing to 
retard a rampant growth of weeds instead of gathering 
a profitable cutting of prime hay. It is not improbable 
that he may be doing the same in July or in September, 
thus losing a whole season. Again, the spring prepara- 
tion comes when the farmer needs to be working his 
corn and potato land ; hence he is likely to slight or neg- 
lect the careful preparation of the alfalfa ground and so 
do a poor job, with, in such cases, the usual result of a 
"poor stand." Then too, the frequent rains interfere 
with regular disking and harrowing and the weeds may 
obtain a start the farmer cannot check. In most cases 
fall sowing means three cuttings the following year. In 
many instances spring sowing means no crop the first 
season, although better farming will gain a September 
crop, while the best farming, with no weeds, may give 
two if not three crops; not heavy ones, perhaps, but of 
no inconsiderable value. 

Commenting on spring sowing in the more northern 
states, Henry Wallace, editor of Wallaces' Farmer, says : 

"Our own experience in growing alfalfa both in Ne- 
braska and Iowa has taught us that it is a waste of time 
and labor to sow in the spring. If sown in the spring 
without a nurse crop, it will have to be mowed twice, prob- 
ably three times, to keep down the weeds, and even then 
it will not be in as good condition as if a crop of early 
corn or even oats was taken off, and the ground put in 
fine condition and seeded in August. 

*Tn 1904 we sowed in the spring 250 acres of alfalfa 
on our Nebraska farm, and some twenty or thirty acres 



SOIL AND SEEDING 55 

of it was washed in ridges by a very heavy rain imme- 
diately after. We reseeded the vacant spaces in the 
fall and later could see no difference between the fall 
sowing and the spring sowing. We did the same thing 
on one of our Iowa farms, sowing in the spring and 
mowing three times. Another piece was sowed in 
August. The August sowing was much better than the 
spring sowing. It should be said, however, that the land 
was richer and the difference was therefore not all due 
to the time of sowing. So long as Kansas farmers con- 
tinued to sow their alfalfa in the spring they had but par- 
tial success, owing to the fact that crabgrass and other 
grasses will come up in the early fall and smother out 
the spring sowing. By using some other crop the first 
part of the season, then putting the land in fine condition 
in the month of August or even by September ist, an 
alfalfa crop can be started which will have a strong 
enough growth to smother out the weeds the next spring. 
"We don't know that we would insist on this so 
strongly for northern Iowa and Minnesota, but certainly 
from the latitude of the Northwestern railroad in Iowa, 
south, and corresponding latitude in other states, we 
would abandon spring sowing and sow alfalfa on well 
prepared ground in August. We would not, however, 
plow the ground for this fall sowing, but put the soil in 
first-class condition for a spring crop, then use a disk 
and harrow for the fall preparation." 

SEEDING BY DRILL OR BROADCAST? 

Here too, there is a variety of opinions, all based on 
experience. Those who object most to drills may have 



56 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

used poor implements, with feeding gears not well regu- 
lated, or possibly they have not known how to use the 
drills. Many who object to the broadcast method have 
.had little training or skill in it. It is reasonable to sup- 
pose, however, that given soil in fine tilth, and a good 
drill rightly adjusted, there will be a more even, and 
hence a more economical distribution and a better and 
more uniform covering of the seed. It is also claimed that 
drilling secures a more uniform distribution of soil moist- 
ure. The general opinion is that by sowing with a drill, 
properly regulated, one can safely use five pounds less of 
seed per acre. Some alfalfa raisers use a wheelbarrow 
seeder ; others use a kind of swing seeder strapped to the 
sower's body; still others, who have had training in the 
old-fashoined method of broadcasting, declare it the best, 
but the experiment stations of practically all the states, 
and most up-to-date farmers, favor the use of the press 
drill. A very common method when using the drill is to 
mix an equal quantity of wheat bran, corn meal, or alfalfa 
meal with the seed, as aids to an even distribution and 
a not too excessive seedhig. At the Kansas agricultural 
college farm, success has followed broadcasting; and 
when the drill has been used no particular advantage from 
cross-drilling was discovered. 

HOW MUCH SEED TO THE ACRE? 

Reports of seed sown, varying from six to sixty 
pounds to the acre, indicate much ignorance of the nature 
of the alfalfa plant ; or a great recklessness and extrava- 
gance. Twenty pounds to the acre, if all seeds 



SOIL AND SEEDING 57 

germinated, would mean 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 plants, 
whereas a stand of 500,000 is ample. Most of the experi- 
ment stations favor twenty to thirty pounds to the acre, 
although several experts at these stations insist that 
fifteen pounds of clean, germinable seed to the acre is as 
much as should be sowed. Even if these all grew it 
would give nearly 44 plants to the foot square of land, or 
four to five times as many as would thrive after two years 
old. Of course the quantity may depend upon a variety 
of circumstances, such as the fertility of the seed, condi- 
tion of the ourface soil, condition of the subsoil as to 
moisture, the method of sowing, weather conditions at 
the time for sowing or immediately after, also the nat- 
ural fertility of the soil and the bacterial life present, or 
at least the conditions for propagating or sustaining 
bacterial life. With land prepared by sowing a few 
pounds of seed six months or a year preceding, with a 
heavy application of stable manure plowed under six 
months before, perfect soil preparation, normal moist- 
ure, and clean seed, testing ninety per cent germinable, 
there should be no need for more than ten pounds to the 
acre. Disking that the field should have later will split 
the crowns and many new stalks will be sent up ; so that 
in a few years a square foot of surface will not accom- 
modate more than six to ten robust, vigorous plants, and 
having these the ideal stand has pretty nearly been 
attained. One plant has been known to send out as 
many as 360 branches from its single main root, 
resembling in form a spreading bush. A successful 
farmer in Geary county, Kansas, who has been raising 
alfalfa for twenty years, seldom sows more than six 



58 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

pounds of seed to the acre and never more than ten. A 
prominent Ohio farmer usually sows but ten, and never 
over twelve or fifteen pounds to the acre, although he 
has always introduced alfalfa bacteria into the soil one 
or two years before ready to give it a full seeding. Of 
strictly good seed, well cleaned, twelve pounds would 
likely be too much rather than too little, other conditions 
being right. 

WITH OR WITHOUT A NURSE CROP? 

The practice of sowing a nurse crop with alfalfa was 
inaugurated when the nature of the plant was not as 
well understood as now. It was also somewhat on the 
theory too that "a half-loaf is better than no bread." It 
began when there was a good deal of doubt about 
"getting a stand," and the farmer thought no doubt that 
a crop of oats or barley would pay for the plowing even 
if the alfalfa failed. While the practice is continued by 
many, the prevalent later method is to provide no nurse 
crop. Few who have abandoned the nurse crop have 
returned to it. The alfalfa plant does not need protec- 
tion from the sun, nor is it bettered by dividing any of 
the soil moisture or fertility with those of another crop. 
On the other hand, if alfalfa is sowed in the spring, it is 
important that it obtain an early start in order that its 
roots can quickly work their way down into the moisture 
of the subsoil, against the dry days of July and August. 
When a nurse crop of any vigor is removed the alfalfa 
plants are likely to be found weak, spindling and with 
little root growth ; the nurse crop also has taken up some 
of the soil nitrogen needed by the young alfalfa; or if 



SOIL AND SEEDING 59 

the nurse crop is heavy and has lodged, there will be left 
ibare spots, where the alfalfa has been smothered out. 

Cutting the nurse crop is likely to be attended with 
no little damage to the tender alfalfa plants by trampling 
their crowns into the ground, or by breaking them off. 
Practically all the experiment stations favor sowing 
alone. With few exceptions the second and third years 
have brought heavier yields where no nurse crop was 
used. The theory that the nurse crop will prevent the 
weeds choking the alfalfa is apparently, as a rule, not 
well founded. In the first place alfalfa should not be 
sown on foul land, and in the second place proper disking 
and harrowing, at near intervals for four or six weeks 
before sowing, will disturb or kill far more weeds than 
can any nurse crop. Besides, the oats or barley sown as 
a nurse will when cut leave weeds in good growth, or 
dormant and ready to spring up as fast or faster than 
the alfalfa. No nurse crop is ever used with fall sowing. 
When ground has been thoroughly prepared for the 
preceding crop, and then properly cared for, and made 
ready for the alfalfa by the preliminary weed destruction, 
it will be found advisable to sow alfalfa alone, even in 
the spring. 

INOCULATING THE SOIL. 

It has been found where alfalfa shows thrifty vigor, 
is making a good stand, and is at least two years 
old, that on the roots are little nodules or wart-like pro- 
tuberances. On fields where the alfalfa is unthrifty or 
failing to make a good stand, examination will probably 
fail to discover any of these nodules. Scientists tell us 



60 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

that these nodules are the homes of bacteria, microscopic 
vegetable organisms obtaining their sustenance from 
the nitrogen of the air and the starch of the plant ; that 
they collect much more nitrogen than they need, tr.e 
over-supply being taken up by the alfalfa, which, after 
these nodules are formed and occupied, takes no more 
nitrogen from the soil, but annually stores about its roots 
more from the air, thus adding to the nitrogen supply 
in the soil instead of taking from it as do all other farm 
crops except the legumes. Each legume — clover, alfalfa, 
cowpeas, etc. — has a distinct species of bacteria, or at 
least bacteria with a distinct development, excepting, 
as has been found, that Sweet clover (Melilotus alba) 
and Bur clover (Mcdicago dcnticulata) develop the same 
species as does alfalfa. 

BUYING INFECTED SOIL. 

Several methods of preparing land for alfalfa by 
introducing its peculiar bacteria have been suggested, 
and practiced to some extent. Alany farmers and experi- 
menters have used with success infected soil upon their 
lands; soil from established alfalfa fields, or that from 
along the roads or creeks where Sweet clover or Bur 
clover has been growing. This soil is spread upon the 
field or sown with alfalfa just before the Seeding. If 
the drill is to be used the inoculated soil is spread on and 
harrowed in. If the seed is to be broadcasted, the 
infected soil may be harrowed in with the seed. It is 
better, however, to harrow this infected soil in thor- 
oughly before seeding. Experiment stations recommend 
an application of two hundred pounds of such soil to 



SOIL AND SEEDING 6l 

every acre, but good results have been secured from 
half that quantity. This will depend very much upon 
the nature of the soil, and the subsoil especially. Many 
fields seem to have these bacteria waiting for the coming 
of alfalfa. Land that has been well manured and con- 
tains abundant humus, and land that is light and friable 
will usually respond to the bacterial life attached to the 
alfalfa seed. Most farmers who have established fields 
will sell soil to their neighbors, which should be from 
the top six or eight inches, and include roots, stubble and 
earth. Both Sweet clover and Bur clover are found in 
almost every neighborhood in the northern states, while 
the latter is very general in the South. 

Some alfalfa raisers make a business of selling and 
shipping inoculated soil. Probably any experiment sta- 
tion will ship small quantities to farmers within its state, 
at about the cost of digging, sacking and delivering at 
the railroad station. Therefore, if a farmer desires to 
use it, little labor or expense is attached to doing so. 
There is reason, however, to doubt the need of this 
method in any of the western or central western states 
where the suggestions mentioned in the first part of the 
chapter are closely followed. No doubt there are advan- 
tages in using it in most states east of the Mississippi 
river, in order to hasten the development of the bacteria 
and to make a good stand more certain. Preparation 
one or two years in advance as already described, by a 
light sowing of alfalfa seed for introducing its peculiar 
bacteria, is less expensive, and requires less labor and car- 
ries no risk of introducing the seeds of other clovers or 
weeds. Most farms have enough weed seeds already. 



62 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

DANGERS OP INOCULATION BY SOIL TRANSFER. 

Touching upon the dangers possibly resulting from 
inoculation by soil transfer a bulletin from the United 
States Department of Agriculture has this to suggest : 

"Satisfactory inoculations have been obtained by trans- 
ferring soil from old fields on which the legume has 
been grown, but experience has shown that there are 
dangers incident to such methods of soil transfer which 
it is wise to avoid. 

**The source of supply of such soil should be definitely 
known, and in no case should soil be used from fields 
which have previously borne any crop affected with a 
fungous disease, a bacterial disease, or with nematodes. 
Where a rotation of crops is practiced, it is often difficult 
to make sure of this factor, so that the method of soil 
transfer is, under average circumstances, open to sus- 
picion, if not to positive objection. Numerous animal 
and plant parasites live in the soil for years, and are 
already established in so many localities that it is mani- 
festly unwise to ship soil indiscriminately from one por- 
tion of the country to another. 

"The bacterial diseases of the tomato, potato, and egg 
plant, and the club-root, brown-rot, and wilt disease of 
the cabbage, all more or less widely distributed, are read- 
ily transmitted in the soil ; while in the South and West 
there are the wilt diseases of cotton, melons, sweet pota- 
toes, cowpeas, and flax, and various nematoid and root- 
rot diseases which might easily become a serious menace 
over areas much larger than they now occupy if delib- 
erately spread by the careless use of soil for inoculation 
purposes. There are several insects and fungous 



SOIL AND SEEDING 63 

diseases of clover to be avoided, and various diseases of 
beans and peas. There is also a disease of alfalfa, the 
'leaf spot,' which is causing damage in some regions. 
These are only a few of many diseases liable to be trans- 
mitted in soils. The farmer should therefore be on his 
guard. The danger from such sources is by no means 
imaginary. The Department of Agriculture has had 
specific cases of such accidental distribution reported, 
and if the business of selling soil for inoculation is made 
to flourish by farmers purchasing without question 
'alfalfa soil,' 'cowpea soil,' etc., there is every reason to 
believe that experience will demonstrate the folly of 
such haphazard methods. 

"Of scarcely less importance is the danger of dissemi- 
nating noxious weeds and insect pests through this plan 
of inoculation by means of soils. Even though weeds 
may not have been serious in the field, the great number 
of dormant seeds, requiring but a slight change in sur- 
loundings to produce germination, is always a menace. 
The enormous damage to crops caused by introduced 
insects and weeds should convey a warning and lead to 
caution. It is not the part of good judgment to view 
the risk as a slight one." 

OTHER METHODS OF INOCULATION. 

There are two or three better ways of inoculating land 
than by using a neighbor's soil. Some alfalfa raisers 
recommend the sowing of alfalfa meal with the seed. 
Another plan which appears reasonable and practicable 
is for the farmer who wishes to introduce alfalfa to buy 
alfalfa hay the year before and feed it to his live stock; 



64 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

then haul the manure to the fields and plow it under for 
the crop to precede alfalfa. It is claimed by those who 
have done this that a satisfactory stand is well-nigh 
certain, other conditions being met. It can be said, how- 
ever, that some high authorities on this crop, men who 
have experimented on many different kinds of soil and 
who have succeeded under varying conditions, declare 
that neither soil nor seed inoculation is necessary. It is 
altogether probable that if a field has been well farmed 
for a few years previous to the alfalfa-sowing, with 
unusually good cultivation the preceding year, a heavy 
application of stable manure plowed under at least five 
months before, then given the proper preparation and 
seeding, using seed raised in about the same latitude and 
under similar conditions in which the new crop must 
grow, and with seed testing ninety per cent germinable, 
there should be little anxiety about the need of inocula- 
tion. Of course old, worn-out land may require more 
fertilizers, restoring to the soil not only necessary nitro- 
gen that has been exhausted by other crops, but also the 
potash and phosphorus. In eastern states it has been 
found advantageous also to apply a very light top-dress- 
ing of stable manure just before sowing the seed. If 
lime is deficient, that must be applied. An examination 
of any particular soil will usually be made without charge 
by the state chemists, and the farmer may thus approxi- 
mately ascertain just what the soil will need for alfalfa, 
corn, or any other crop he may desire to raise. 

KEEP ON TRYIXG. 

It is important to say to the eastern farmers, espe- 
cially, that there is little difference between successful 



SOIL AND SEEDING 65 

alfalfa-growing and the successful growing of other 
crops. Poor farming never brings big crops, nor will 
poor land produce as big yields as the more fertile. 
Failure to restore to the soil the necessary elements of 
which it has been robbed means the same in New York, 
Kansas, Virginia, or anywhere else. Every farm plant, 
to prosper, must find in the soil, readily available, the 
elements needed for its development. If a farmer finds 
the soil lacking in the elements needed for certain crops, 
he should either supply the deficiency or not attempt 
their raising. This is true of corn or wheat, cotton or 
tobacco, no less than alfalfa. 

Alfalfa needs especially nitrogen, potash and phos- 
phorus. The average virgin soil in the United States 
contains enough of these to last several hundred years. 
If there had been at all times an intelligent rotation of 
crops, these chemical elements would be found in just as 
large proportions in the soil that has been farmed a hun- 
dred years as in the soil never cultivated. Hence, if 
after trying alfalfa a man meets with failure, he should 
not stop, and say, "Alfalfa won't grow 'here'," but try it 
again immediately. If he discovers a seeming failure in 
March or April, he should disk and harrow and as early 
as possible sow about ten pounds of seed to the acre; in 
many instances he will have to clip his alfalfa in about 
six or eight weeks and can mow a crop of hay in Sep- 
tember, or possibly two hay crops in the season. There 
have been various cases reported where three hay crops 
were secured the first season after such cultivation, when 
the fields had been pronounced a failure in March. 
Alfalfa may be sown on such ground as late as the first 



66 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

of June if the weeds have been thoroughly subdued. 
Or, if it has been sown in the spring and the weeds seem 
to be overtopping it in July, mow close to the ground, 
rake into windrows and burn. Then disk and harrow 
thoroughly and sow again. In all probability there will 
be something of a crop to mow early in September, with 
a considerable autumn growth to follow. If it is not 
desired to sow alfalfa in midsummer, disk this ground 
and sow to rye or oats for pasture; then late in August 
disk and put in readiness for September sowing. The 
failure may have been because the soil had not enough 
bacteria, or favorable environment for the bacteria. 
Some of the seed sowed at first undoubtedly ger- 
minated and some bacteria were developed; enough 
certainly to prepare the soil for the second sowing. It 
is unwise after such a failure to go to another field or to 
wait for another year. It is wiser to meet the conditions 
at once, and vigorously persevere. 

In reference to the application of lime, mentioned on a 
preceding page, it should be noted that the later experi- 
ments seem to indicate that it is better to apply smaller 
quantities at shorter intervals than larger quantities at 
longer intervals; also that air-slacked lime is less caustic 
than the quicklime, and not so liable, when recently 
applied, to harm the young plants which may come in 
contact with it, hence more of the former may be used 
and with greater safety. Ordinarily quicklime is con- 
sidered the most beneficial. 




Peculiar Nodules in Groups on Small Rootlets 

and distant from the large alfalfa roots. From Michigan Experiment Station 
Bulletin No. 225. 




Alfalfa Roots Showing Normal Nodules 

small and near the large roots. From Michigan Experiment Station Bulletin No. 225. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Cultivation 

CLIPPING IS AN INVIGORANT. 

Strange as this title may seem it suggests a very 
important means of securing a satisfactory stand. In fact 
in some parts of the South, where the land has become 
very foul, it is occasionally recommended to sow the 
alfalfa in rows, eighteen inches apart, for regular culti- 
vation the first season. After the second year the crowns 
will have sent up so many stems that the surface of the 
ground will be well occupied. Spurrier, in his work 
referred to in Chapter I, recommended drilling in rows 
and cultivating the first year. But it is better to get rid 
of the weeds before trying alfalfa. The cultivation here 
recommended is clipping, manuring, disking and har- 
rowing. Frequently when alfalfa is sowed in the spring 
it comes up weak and spindling. In such case clip it 
just before ready to bloom, having the mower sickle set 
rather high. If the growth is not very heavy, leave this 
cutting on the ground; if quite heavy, remove it. The 
field may need to be clipped again during the summer, 
but the farmer can feel reasonably assured that he will 
have a good stand the following spring. If the leaves 
turn yellow, mowing is the remedy. If there is any sign 
of the "spotted leaf" disease, the mower should be used 



68 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

forthwith. Of course if alfalfa comes up strong, vigor- 
ous, and free from weeds, it should stand until 
blossoming is well begun and then be mown for hay. 

It should not be supposed that the purpose in clipping 
and allowing the clippings to remain on the ground is 
primarily to make a mulch. It is to retard the weeds, 
and as no other way equally convenient and eccomical 
has presented itself, the young growths are mown and 
left on the ground. 

In many parts of the country Crab-grass (Panicum 
sanguinale), is the plant or weed that most persistently 
interferes with the prosperity of alfalfa during its first 
year, and frequent mowing is the remedy most recom- 
mended and resorted to, but there are growers who main- 
tain that such treatment is not best. An extensive and 
very successful grower in southern Kansas tells the author 
repeated experience has demonstrated to his satisfaction 
that the advice to mow alfalfa frequently during the first 
summer may under some circumstances be quite wrong. 
If the season happens to be wet, and there is a rank 
growth of Crab-grass, frequent mowing causes the Crab- 
grass to set in a close sod and smother out the alfalfa. 
He says : "My practice has been, under these conditions, 
to let the Crab-grass grow with the alfalfa until matured, 
before mowing. The young alfalfa will usually keep its 
head out sufficiently to breathe, and will survive until the 
Crab-grass is matured and all is cut. If allowed to 
mature, the Crab-grass will not start a second time, and 
the alfalfa immediately springs up and occupies the 
ground. Where the Crab-grass is very rank it may some- 
times be blown down in spots and smother out some 



CULTIVATION 69 

alfalfa, but even under these conditions one will have a 
much better stand than is possible by repeated mowings. 
This is not mere theory, but has been proven correct by 
frequent experience and close observation of the other 
method during the same seasons." Something similar 
may be said of Witch-grass (Panicum capillare), which, 
however, is less obnoxious than the Crab-grass, because of 
not having the habit of rooting at the joints. 

It is sometimes the case that a field of alfalfa is left 
infested in the fall with such a growth of grass and weeds 
as to make burning in the spring seem the most feasible 
means of getting rid of them, and fire is resorted to. Prof 
A. M. Ten Eyck says he has seen this done a number of 
times without injury to the alfalfa crowns. He, however, 
recommends disking after burning, to loosen the exposed 
soil and leave the surface generally in a better condition. 
Sowing additional seed on the ground before such disk- 
ing may do much to improve and thicken the stand. 

The editor of the Nebraska Farmer has been collecting 
information on alfalfa culture from every section of the 
United States for the past ten years, and as a result of 
this work unhesitatingly advances the opinion that "nine- 
tenths of the failures with alfalfa have been due to fail- 
ure or neglect to cut it as should have been done when 
young. This is the law of alfalfa culture ; it must be cut 
down. And the man who has not the courage, morally 
and physically, to use a mowing machine persistently had 
best pass by alfalfa culture. It takes moral courage to 
cut baby alfalfa; but it must be cut down to save it." 



70 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

MANURING. 

A light top-dressing of manure after sowing, or, in 
case of fall sowing, any time during the winter, helps to 
conserve moisture as well as to give the growing plants 
some nitrogenous food. Applying a top-dressing of 
stable manure at least every second or third winter is 
certain to prove profitable. If it contains coarse straw or 
other litter, this should be raked and hauled off later, but 
before the alfalfa grows too high, especially if the hay is 
intended for the city market. Many successful growers 
in Kansas, who claim to cut from five to seven tons of 
alfalfa hay per acre in a season apply a top-dressing of 
manure every winter. The highest yields reported from 
eastern states are where this practice is followed. Some 
experiment station men believe that where this is not done 
the crop will after eight or ten years tend to impoverish 
the land instead of further improving it. 

DISKING. 

The foremost method of cultivation is with the disk 
harrow, one of the most excellent farm implements ever 
invented. Alfalfa sown in the fall is almost invariably 
helped by disking the following spring, with the disks set 
quite straight, so as not to cut the crowns but to split 
them. It is usually well to follow this disking with a 
tooth harrow, with its teeth set straight. Occasionally 
in a dry summer the disk may be used to great advantage 
after the second, and possibly the third, cutting also. 
Many disk their alfalfa fields every spring, and some 
after each cutting, others do so only once in every two 
or three years, owing to weather conditions and the con- 
ditions of the alfalfa. In some instances the common 
harrow is used instead of a disk. 



CULTIVATION 7 1 

The disking has several beneficial effects. It splits 
and spreads the crowns, causing more and consequently 
finer stems to spring up, affording hay of the most 
delightful quality, easily cured; it loosens the soil about 
the crowns, conserves moisture and destroys the weeds. 
There need be no fear of killing the plants if the disks 
and the harrow-teeth are set straight and weighted or 
otherwise adjusted to give a direct and steady forward 
movement. As an implement for the cultivation and in- 
vigoration of an alfalfa field the disk harrow has no equal, 
and its frequent use is by those who know it best deemed 
quite indispensable. 

RESEEDING. 

If it is a question of reseeding the whole field, the 
problem is simple. In that case disk and harrow the 
ground and sow half as much seed as was sowed at first. 
But to restore bare spots is more difficult; the young 
plants from the reseeding in these spots will be shaded 
by the larger growth about them, and such reseeding 
seldom gives the desired results. There is no doubt that 
very many fields are given up as failures and inferior 
crops planted in them, when a thorough disking would 
have reviewed the growth, saved a crop, and, what is more 
important, a stand of alfalfa. Many reports have come 
to the writer of fields that had little sign of life the first 
of March, yet when thoroughly disked, cross-disked and 
harrowed, surprised the neighborhood by showing in 
two weeks a strong growth. 

Some wishing to be on the safe side, have sown a 
little seed after this heavy disking and harrowing, but 
many of them have reported an entire loss of the seed, 



"JZ THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

as the plants from the previous sowing came up so thick 
as to choke out those from the later seeding. In some 
states a common plan of thickening a stand is to let the 
third crop ripen seed, and then about the last of Septem- 
ber disk and harrow the seed into the ground where it 
grew. This frequently saves the stand and adds many 
years to its life. But where a field begins to fail after a 
third year it is usually better to plow it up and raise one 
or two crops of corn, a crop of oats or of millet, and 
then reseed. 

AliFALFA UXDER IRRIGATION. 

The greatest yields of alfalfa are produced by irriga- 
tion. Reported yields of six or more cuttings, aggregat- 
ing eight to twelve tons per acre each year, are almost 
invariably, yet not always, from districts where irrigation 
is practiced. It is claimed by experiment station experts 
from the irrigation states that the tendency is to use too 
much water; too much at a time and too often. The 
general recommendation is to irrigate thoroughly before 
the ground is plowed or disked, and not again till 
the alfalfa is about four inches high. Then again a week 
before each cutting. It has been found that old alfalfa 
fields do not need as much water as new fields, the alfalfa 
roots seeming to find moisture and bring it to the surface. 

It is insisted that the surface must be perfectly 
smooth to keep water from setting into low places and 
smothering the plants. Some farmers do not irrigate for 
the second crop if as much as two inches of rain falls 
after the first mowing. Others claim that old fields do 
not need flooding for the second crop even if there has 
been no rainfall after the first cutting. 



CULTIVATION 73 

Wilcox in his "Irrigation Farming"* says: "The 
critical time with alfalfa is the first six weeks of its 
growth. Flooding during this period is quite certain to 
give the plants a backset from which they seldom fully 
recover before the second, and sometimes not before the 
third year, and it is not often in the arid states that rain 
falls with sufficient frequency to dispense with the neces- 
sity for irrigating the plants while small. By soaking 
the earth from thirty-six to forty-eight hours before 
seeding, however, the plants will make vigorous growth 
until they are ten to twelve inches high, after which they 
may be irrigated with safety. 

"When alfalfa has become established, a single copious 
irrigation after each cutting will ordinarily be found suf- 
ficient. Irrigation before cutting is undesirable, because 
it leaves the earth so soft as to interfere with the move- 
ment of machinery and loads. It also makes the stalks 
more sappy, and, while they will retain the leaves better, 
there is more difficulty to be experienced in the curing 
at harvest time; and taken all in all, we much prefer to 
irrigate after each cutting. In Colorado we cut alfalfa 
three times and often four times in a season, hence the 
stand gets as many irrigations. Some people irrigate 
very early in springtime, before the crowns have awak- 
ened from their hibernal rest, but this practice is not 
right. The chill of the water in very early spring is not 
conducive to quick growth and may often retard the 
plants in getting an early start. We do not irrigate 
prior to the first cutting unless the season is particularly 
dry and the plants seem to actually demand water. We 

♦"Irrigation Farming." by Lute Wilcox: 314 pp. Orange 
Judd Company, New York. 



74 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

irrigate late in the fall and apply a top-dressing of light 
barnyard manure, which is found to be of great service 
in several ways." 

INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION UPON COMPOSITION. 

I find no report of experiments published by any sta- 
tion in which the influence of irrigation upon alfalfa hay 
is made a special study, but Bulletin No. 80 of the Utah 
station contains a great deal of information along this 
line relative to grain crops, potatoes, and mixed grasses. 
In summing up the results of the experiments, the fol- 
lowing conclusions are given : 

"Heavy irrigations increase the percentage of weight 
of the heads of plants ; light irrigations increase the rela- 
tive weight of leaves. 

"Irrigation modifies definitely the composition of 
plants and plant parts; the seeds are affected more than 
any other plant part, 

"The percentage of protein in corn kernels was 
increased from 12.05 to 15.08, as the amount of irriga- 
tion decreased; in oat kernels from 14.07 to 20.79; i^ 
wheat kernels from 15.26 to 26.72. In all these seeds 
the fat and nitrogen-free extracts were increased by lib- 
eral waterings. 

"Increased irrigations increased the starch content 
and decreased the protein content of potatoes. 

"The water in plants is somewhat dependent on the 
water in the soil. 

"The proportion of ear corn to stover increased regu- 
larly with the increased application of water. 

"The percentage of grain in the wheat crop increased 
with increased irrigations. 



CULTIVATION 



75 



"The yield o£ wheat increased up to thirty inches of 
water. 

"Crops in an arid district require a greater number of 
pounds of water for one pound of dry matter than in 
humid cHmates." 

The experiments cited do not include alfalfa, yet the 
results with other crops would indicate that the percent- 
age of protein in alfalfa hay may be less where the crop 
is grown by irrigation than where it is grown, by dry- 
land farming. The composition of the hay, however, 
will depend upon the quantity of water supplied to the 
crop and not upon the method; that is, alfalfa which 
receives as much natural rainfall as other alfalfa would 
receive by irrigation, would be similarly affected in com- 
position, and from the experiments with grains reported 
in the bulletin noted, it would appear that with the appli- 
cation of large quantities of water the percentage of 
protein is decreased; yet, the yield is increased, and 
although the feeding value of the crop may be a little 
less, the quantity may be greater, due to large applica- 
tions of water. 

WIDE VARIATIONS IN CONTENT. 

Professor Ten Eyck compiled from their station 
bulletins the following figures on the composition of 
alfalfa hay in four different states : 





Bulletin 
Number 


Protein 


Carbo- 
hydrates 


Fat 


Number of 
Analyses 


New Jersey 


148 

39 
61 
114 


Per Cent. 
15.84 
17.36 
9.22 
11.89 


Per Cent. 

38-97 
36.71 

43-25 
41.03 


Per Cent. 
3.82 
1.65 

-97 
.66 






9 
29 

3 


Utah 


Kansas 





"^6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

On this showing he remarks : 

"Although it was not definitely stated, I take it that the 
Colorado and Utah hay were grown by irrigation, while 
the New Jersey and Kansas hay received no irrigation. 
It will be observed that while the percentages of protein 
and fat in the Utah samples are low, the percentage of 
carbohydrates is high; yet the Colorado samples grown 
under irrigation show a larger percentage of protein 
and fat than the Kansas samples grown without irriga- 
tion. The crude protein often varies in quantity accord- 
ing to the stage of maturity of the alfalfa when it is cut 
for hay, as shown by experiments at the Kansas station, 
and described in Bulletin No. 114. 

"The general conclusion may be that the protein con- 
tent of alfalfa hay will decrease to some extent, accord- 
ing as the supply of water furnished the crop is increased ; 
that is, by supplying the right quantity of water, a 
better quality of hay may be grown by irrigation than is 
often grown in humid climates in soil which receives only 
the natural rainfall. From what I know of the Colorado 
and Utah stations, I would judge that the quantity of 
water supplied at the Utah station was much larger than 
that supplied at the Colorado station. At the Colorado 
station the supply of irrigation water is often limited, 
and hence, the larger percentage of protein and fat which 
appears in the samples of hay grown and analyzed at 
that station." 

The annual report of the secretary of agriculture 
(1904) says that at the Utah station a series of co-oper- 
ative experiments is in progress to determine the water 
necessary, and the most favorable method of application. 



CULTIVATION 



77 



to insure a maximum yield of alfalfa, and also experi- 
ments to determine the minimum application of water 
required to secure a crop. "It has been found that abun- 
dant irrigation throughout the season, 6i inches of water 
being applied, gave a yield of 6.2 tons per acre, while 
four irrigations in the early part of the season with only 
25 inches gave five tons per acre, showing that beyond a 
certain supply the excess is wasted." 

A. S. Hitchcock, in United States Farmers' Bulletin 
No. 215, speaking of the Utah experiment just mentioned, 
says that where the supply of water is limited a much 
less quantity than is ordinarily used will produce paying 
crops. The minimum quantity to produce a crop of 
alfalfa, and the time at which the water should be applied, 
depends upon the soil and climatic conditions. Below are 
results of experiments in 1903, by the Utah station: 

WATER REQUIRED BY ALFALFA; QUAXTITY AND DATE 
OF APPLICATION. 



Date of each irrigation and quantity of water applied. 


Total 
Water 
applied. 


First. 


Second 


Third. 


Fourth. 


June 16. . 


A ere in. 

3-360 
5.970 
5.070 
7.020 
5.030 
6.774 
12.490 

8-3°3 
6.320 
6.250 
6.250 
6.250 
6.610 
3.980 


July 29. . 
July 29. . 
Julys.... 
Julys.... 
July 3.... 
Julys.... 
Aug. 19.. 
July 6.... 
July 6.... 
June23... 
July 7.... 
July 7.... 
July 7.... 
July 7.... 


A ere in. 

3-359 
3-359 
5.036 
5.036 
5.100 
6.694 
12.506 
8.352 
6.248 
4.280 

6.330 
6.220 
3.720 
3.720 




A ere in 




Acre in. 


Acre in. 

6.719 
12.688 


June 29. . 
Junei6. . 


Aug. 19. . 
Aug. 6.. . 
Aug. 19.. 
Aug. I... 
Aug. 19.. 


3-359 
5.003 
5.002 
5.036 
6.682 










15.109 
17.058 
20.168 
20.150 
25.002 
25.017 
25.066 
61.465 
24.970 
25.470 
17-330 
15.200 


June 29. . 
June 15. . 
June 20 . . 






Aug. 24.. 


5.002 


Julys... 
June 20. . 






Aug. 19. . 
Aug. I... 
June 30. . 
Aug. 15.. 
Aug.6. .. 
Aug. 15.. 
Aug.6... 


8.362 
6.248 

5-705 
6.250 
6.750 
3-250 
3-750 






June 15. . 
June 16. . 
June 23. . 
June 16. . 
June 23. . 
June 16. . 


Aug. 29.. 
July;... 
Aug. 31.. 
Aug. 31.. 
Aug. 31.. 
Aug. 31.. 


6.250 
aS.230 
6.250 
6.250 
3-75° 
3-750 



aThis plat was given 5 inches of water on each of the following dates: July 14 
July 22, July 28, August 4, August 17, August 25, August 31, September 8. 



yS THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

DATE OF HARVEST AND YIELD OF HAY. 



Date of harvest and yield of hay at each cutting. 


Total 

yield of 

plat. 


Calcu- 
la ted 


First. 


Second. 


Third. 


yield 
per acre 


June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 26 . . . 
June 18. . . 
June 18. . . 
June 18 . . . 
June 18 . . . 
June i& . . 


Pounds. 
264 
177 
261 
204 
191 
175 

93 

99 

224 

I76i 

i7oi 

147 

105 

112i 


Aug.I2 

Aug.I2. ... 
Aug.I2 

Aug.12. .. . 
Aug.i2. . . . 
Aug.i2 

Aug.I2.. . . 
Aug.I2 

Aug.i2.... 

Aug.io 

Aug.io 

Aug.io 

Aug.io 

Aug.io 


Pounds. 
5oi 

lOI 

68i 

io8i 

85* 

74 
62 

44 
140 

1364 
'^\ 

II2t 
106 




Pounds. 


Pounds. 

3i4i 
278 

329i 

276* 

249 

15s 

^P 
364, 

380I 

263 1 
253* 


Tont. 

3145 
2.780 

3295 
3125 
2.765 
2.490 
1.550 
1.430 
3.640 
6.243 
5.017 
4.598 
3.468 
3340 


































Oct. 16.... 
Oct. 16.... 

Oct. 16 

Oct. 16 

Oct. 16.... 


120} 

73i 
61 
46 
35 



"It will be observed that the maximum crop was pro- 
duced by applying plenty of water throughout the grow- 
ing season. However, it is also to be noted that a much 
less quantity of water, when applied at intervals of three 
or four weeks, produced a fair crop. Fifteen and 17 
inches of water applied in this way produced more than 
half as much as 61 inches applied at frequent intervals. 
Furthermore, three irrigations of 15 to 17 inches pro- 
duced about the same results as the same amount applied 
at four irrigations. In applying irrigation water to 
fields it is necessary to saturate the soil to a reasonable 
depth. All the water that drains off beyond the amount 
required for use is lost to the crop. It is not necessary 
to apply water again until the crop has removed a large 
part of the available supply." 



9 

Orq 









w 



I 





ID 

a 

m 

bo 

d 






CHAPTER VII. 

i 

Harvesting 

CALLS FOR INTELLIGENCE AND PAINSTAKING. 

Considerable space in this volume is devoted to the 
discussion of soil and seeding, but their importance can- 
not well be over-estimated. Really the whole subject of 
alfalfa might well be treated under the two heads, 
"Seeding" and "Harvesting," so very inclusive are these 
two phases of the subject. Without careful seeding one 
cannot have a crop to harvest, and without careful har- 
vesting he might almost as well not have a crop. Both 
call for intelligence and painstaking farming, and much 
patience and hard work. But the rewards of these vir- 
tues and labors are heavy yields from the most valuable 
forage plant. If it is worth nine times as much as tim- 
othy, it can well demand a little more time and labor than 
the average crop. 

GREAT VALUE OP LEAVES. 

The first point to accentuate as we approach the sub- 
ject of harvesting is the pre-eminent value of the leaves. 
These contain from seventy-five to eighty per cent of the 
protein of the whole plant, that valuable compound that 
goes to produce milk and meat. It has been estimated 
that a ton of properly cured alfalfa leaves is equal m pro- 



8o THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

tein to 2800 pounds of wheat bran; and when it is also 
estimated by careful observers that the loss of leaves in 
harvesting, even under favoring circumstances, ranges 
from fifteen to thirty or more per cent it is readily seen 
that the harvesting is an important part in alfalfa hay- 
making. 

WHEN TO CUT. 

For the best hay the cutting should begin when the 
alfalfa is about one-tenth in bloom. Of course, if the 
acreage is small, calling for but one or two days cutting, 
it might stand without particular harm until a fifth or 
fourth was in bloom. Cutting should be completed, if 
possible, by the time one-half is in bloom, as after that 
it is cut at a loss of leaves. As they have more experience 
the tendency among farmers is to cut alfalfa earlier than 
had before been believed at all desirable, and some 
experienced growers and feeders now insist upon cutting 
just before the blossoming stage is reached. 

Experiments seem to show that horses like the hay that 
has been cut when at least half in bloom, or later, better 
than do other stock. For sake of the after effects on the 
plant, it is highly important that the first cutting be made 
in the early bloom, as, if it is delayed, the second crop 
starts more slowly and gives a lighter yield. Frequently 
a short delay in cutting the first crop means that the field 
will produce but two crops instead of three or four. So 
important is this that Prof. H. M. Cottrell declares that 
he has found it profitable to cut the first crop of a season 
in earliest bloom even if it were to be injured by being 
rained upon, or in fact entirely lost. 



HARVESTING 8 1 

MOST PROTEIN IN EARLY CUTTINGS. 

The Utah experiment station found by a feeding test 
that the early cut alfalfa was worth far more than any 
later cutting. It reported: 



stage of Growth 


Hay Worth, per ton. 


Beef, lbs. produced. 




4.90 

4-35 


706 
490 


When in full bloom 


When 1-2 of blooms 

have fallen 





The Kansas station found the protein content to be : 

Stage of Growth Protein content 

When i-io in bloom 18.5 per cent. 

When 1-2 in bloom 17.2 " " 

When in full bloom 14.4 " " 

CONSTANT WATCHFULNESS DEMANDED. 

In humid regions, the alfalfa farmer at the time of 
the first cutting often finds himself in a trying position. 
The value of the leaves demands early cutting, and 
this may be just when it is likely to rain with great 
frequency. He knows that a wetting will injure his 
hay, and that this results in more or less loss of some of 
its most valuable parts from the hour of cutting until it 
is thoroughly cured. The Colorado station reports that 
alfalfa hay, left out for fifteen days after cutting and 
rained on twice, lost 26.1 per cent of its feeding value. 
Hay left out for seven days and having only one light 
rain, lost 10 per cent. Another lot left out three days, 
without rain, lost but 5 per cent. Wetting delays the cur- 
ing, and by the washing the hay loses much sugar, dex- 



82 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

trin and other soluble matters, and also develops fungi. 
However, the only thing to do is to cut, exercising good 
judgment of course as to the amount each day. 

LOSSES IN CURING. 

Headden found, at the Colorado station, that in an 
average alfalfa plant the stems amounted to forty to 
fifty per cent of the weight, while with very leafy, small- 
stemmed plants the leaves sometimes form more than 
sixty per cent of the entire weight. The leaves were 
readily lost if the hay was not handled carefully. He 
concluded from his experience and observation that the 
minimum loss from the falling off of the leaves and 
stems in careful haymaking amounts to from fifteen to 
twenty per cent ; and in cases where the conditions have 
been unfavorable, as much as sixty or even sixty-six per 
cent of the entire dry crop is lost. Stated in another 
way, with the best of conditions, and with great care, 
for every ton of hay taken off the field, at least 300 
pounds of leaves and stems are left scattered on the 
ground. With unfavorable conditions and careless hand- 
ling the loss is of course far greater. A study of these 
facts should induce the careful haymaker to use all pos- 
sible skill in curing alfalfa, and they show that it will be 
profitable to expend more than the usual amount of labor 
in saving the leaves, considering that they are worth, 
pound for pound, nearly four times as much as the stems. 

HARVESTING IN HUMID REGIONS. 

Ordinarily, it is not well to cut alfalfa immediately 
after a heavy rain, because the wet ground will operate 
against proper curing. Begin cutting in the morning, 



HARVESTING 83 

when the dew is well off. If the weather is fair, the ted- 
der ought to follow about two hours behind the mower. 
It is a mistake to think that the sun is the great curing 
agent. Too long exposure to the sun makes the curing 
all the more unsatisfactory, besides drying the leaves in 
such a way that they crumble and drop off. 
* As long as alfalfa remains "alive" water will be exhaled 
from the surface of the leaves and be pumped constantly 
from the stalks in a natural way much as though they 
were still standing. On the other hand, if newly cut 
alfalfa is spread too long in hot sunshine, the leaves are 
scorched to such an extent that transpiration of moisture 
from pores becomes impossible. Hence, that in the stalks 
can only escape by simple evaporation, which is very 
slow. By this means much undesirable, in fact harmful, 
moisture in the hay is brought to the barn or stack, 
although the leaves of the hay are dry and crisp. 

As J. E. Wing has well said in his bulletin (Bui. No. 
129 prepared for the Pennsylvania department of agri- 
culture), "there is a principle to be observed in making 
alfalfa hay that applies to making hay from all clovers. 
If it can be so managed that the leaves are not at once 
burned and dried to powder, the moisture from the stems 
is the more easily removed. Leaves are natural evapo- 
rators of sap; stems are not. Therefore, while the leaf 
has yet pliancy and some semblance of its natural condi- 
tion, it is most efficiently carrying away the sap of the 
stem, but when it is dried up it no longer aids in drying 
the plant at all. Therefore, the best hay in all respects is 
made partly in the shade, in loosely turned windrows, or 
in narrow cocks." 



84 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Two or three hours behind the tedder start the rake 
and keep it going regardless of the noon hour, and unless 
the hay is very heavy it may be put into small cocks, this 
to be completed before the dew forms. In humid regions, 
hay is cured best and with greatest safety by the use of 
hay-caps, and these should be put on the cocks also 
before the dew forms, and removed each morning. The 
hay may be left in these cocks for four or five days, as 
found necessary, and then stacked or stored in the barn. 
This may not follow, however, unless the weather is 
favorable. Many prefer to leave the hay in the wind- 
rows until the second morning, turning them by hand or 
otherwise before noon and putting into cocks in the 
afternoon, letting these stand for two or three days. If 
it is left in the cocks over three days, they should be 
moved or the plants under them will be smothered. All 
agree that alfalfa should not lie in the swath over two or 
three hours. Most who have ever used a tedder like it 
if the alfalfa is less than half in bloom. If half or more 
in bloom, the tedder may cause the breaking off and loss 
of many leaves. Most experiment stations recommend 
that the hay be put into small cocks on the day of the 
cutting, if the weather is at all fair, not risking it in the 
windrows over night. It is a fact that cocked green 
alfalfa, even without caps, will shed much rain, while 
when fairly well-cured it will not do so. 

A Colorado farmer reported that he started the mower 
one morning as soon as the dew was off, followed it with 
the tedder one hour later, and with the rake one hour 
behind the tedder ; he kept a force of men only two hours 
behind the rake putting the alfalfa, yet quite green, into 



HARVESTING 85 

small cocks. These stood through two days of heavy 
rain. Later the cocks were opened and found to be 
unharmed, and after one day the hay was put into stacks 
in excellent condition. This was a somewhat unusual 
circumstance, surely, and might not often occur in a 
climate less dry than that in some parts of Colorado. 

THE USE OF HAY-CAPS. 

Any man who goes into the business of raising alfalfa 
anywhere in the rain belt cannot well afford to ignore 
hay-caps as a part of his equipment. Comparatively the 
cost is slight and the trouble of using them small con- 
sidered in the light of their great utility, although the 
expense, and the use and care of them may at first blush 
appear to be quite formidable. American haymakers 
do not seem to appreciate the bad effect of dew upon the 
color and aroma of all kinds of hay. Prof. F. H. Storer 
in his ''Agriculture" (Vol. Ill, p. 559) says: "One 
advantage gained by the use of hay-caps to protect the 
cocks during the night, is that they hold in the raked-up 
warmth, and keep the hay from cooling off. Thus it 
happens that the hay not only improves a little as to dry- 
ness during the night, but is all ready to dry rapidly 
when the cocks are again exposed to the air and sun- 
shine, on being uncovered in the morning. All this as 
a normal and constant benefit, to say nothing of the 
advantages derived from the caps in case light rains, or 
even heavy rains, should fall before the cocks are again 
opened. The caps keep dew from settling upon the hay, 
moreover, and thus prevent the loss of aromatic matters 
that would result if the dew were to dry off from the 
hay." 



86 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"With regard to the exdusion of dew, it is not alone its 
power to carry off aroma that should be considered. 
When dew 'falls' it must tend to carry with it any particles 
of solid matter that may happen to be in the air from 
which it is deposited, and, in this way, the spores of fungi, 
such as would cause the hay to mold, are put upon it. It 
can scarcely be questioned that many of the organisms 
deposited with the dew are likely to promote hurtful 
decomposition, especially in case the hay should remain or 
become damp, and the less of these organisms that infest 
the hay the better it will be." 

When the farmer considers that a ton of well-cured 
alfalfa hay is worth about as much as a ton of wheat 
bran, he ought to see that it is profitable to protect it 
from the rain and the dew. He would scarcely hesitate 
to provide suitable covering if he had several tons of 
bran in the field exposed to the elements. Hay-caps will 
soon pay for themselves by the finer quality of the hay 
they assure, aside from the larger quantity of the best 
grade that their protection guarantees. 

Storer further says, "there can be no question as to 
the very great merit of hay-caps when properly used. 
They are simply pieces of stout, cotton cloth of suitable 
size, say 40 to 45 inches square as a minimum, (60 inches 
square would be far better — Author) which are thrown 
over the cocks when rain is imminent, or at nightfall. 
These cloths may have wooden pegs or some sort of 
weight attached to each corner to hold them in place ; the 
pegs can be driven into the ground or pushed under the 
hay, as seems most suitable to the size of the cock or con- 



HARVESTING 87 

ditions of the weather. The porosity of the cotton cloth 
hinders dampness from collecting beneath it at the top of 
the cock which it covers." 

Curing alfalfa in dry regions where the problems and 
dangers of rainfall do not need any large consideration, 
is attended with few of the difficulties which confront 
the grower in a region of much humidity. In Western 
Kansas and Nebraska, and in Texas and other states 
where summer rains are somewhat infrequent, the 
mowers start at the beginning and do not stop until the 
field or fields of alfalfa are all in the swath. The rakes 
follow close behind, frequently the side-delivery rake, 
and then the gathering implement, usually designated as 
a "go-devil," keep only about a half-day behind, drag- 
ging the cured hay to the stack or rick where the horse- 
fork lifts and carries it to the center of the stack, to be 
distributed and placed by men with pitchforks. The 
market and feeding value of hay so cured and gathered, 
is deemed by some authorities as not the highest. Curing 
in the windrow alone is likely to be a mere drying (per- 
haps too rapid drying) of one side of the exposed 
portions. Alfalfa should cure successively in the swath, 
windrow, cock and stack or mow, to develop its greatest 
value. The man who has so many acres that he cannot 
cure it in this way might do better with fewer acres for 
hay, and pasture hogs on the remainder, or use the land 
for other crops. Still it is true that alfalfa even poorly 
cured has no inconsiderable feeding value. Many farmers 
in the West and Middle West claim to secure very good 
hay by early following the mower with the tedder, this 
with the rake, and then the "buncher," letting the hay 



88 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

remain in bunches over night and dragging it to the 
stack the next day. Others take from the windrow to 
wagons by a hay-loader, preferably one operated by a 
belt. 

After all said and done, and regardless of thrift and 
yield, it is unquestionable that the grower of alfalfa in 
humid regions meets with difficulties in the matter of 
satisfactory curing that in some years are almost or 
quite disheartening, and of a character to which his 
brother in arid territory is virtually a total stranger. 
Curing in the two regions presents different prob- 
lems, with advantage all the time favoring the man in 
the country of little rainfall. 

One Kansas farmer in the western part of the state 
reports that he used a self -binding harvester, shocked 
the sheaves like those of grain, let them stand ten days 
and then put in a mow, with no bad results. 

Second and later cuttings are not so much endangered 
by rains as is the first, and, hence, these are usually cured 
in better condition. Notwithstanding this, virtually all 
tests point out that the first cutting has more feeding value 
and is better relished by all kinds of stock. Most farmers 
are agreed that it pays to cut every time the alfalfa 
blooms, up to the last of September in the North, and 
possibly a month later in the more southern latitudes. 
A few have reported that they prefer to make but two 
cuttings a year, claiming to realize a greater feeding 
value by so doing; but it seems that the loss in leaves 
and protein, together with the fact that live stock has less 
relish for the more mature cuttings, makes frequent cut- 
ting by far the most profitable. 



HARVESTING 89 

To sum Up, the points to be emphasized in cutting 
alfalfa for hay, and its treatment immediately after, are : 

Cut in early bloom. 

Handle as little as possible. 

Prevent its being wet after cutting. 

Cure if possible partly in the swath, in the windrow, in 
the cock and in the stack or mozv. 

Cut as often as it blooms, which will range from twice 
in Nezv England to nine times a year in southern Okla- 
homa, southern California, Texas and Louisiana. 

In a region of frequent rains protect with hay-caps. 

HARVESTING FOR SEED. 

The first cutting should not be used for seed for three 
reasons : First, if that cutting is delayed until the seed 
has ripened, the second and third cuttings will be very 
light, and in the extreme northern alfalfa territory there 
may not be even a second. A stronger reason is that 
at the time of the first cutting, favorable weather is 
likely to be much less certain and rains will interfere with 
the stacking of the seed crop, which, to insure its best 
value, must be put in the stack or mow without wetting. 
Another is that the seed pods at that season are not 
usually so well filled and the proportion of fertile seeds 
is less because the bees and other insects have not so 
early in the season had time and opportunity to aid in 
the pollenation. 

Cutting should be done when the greater proportion 
of the seeds are hard, but not sufficiently ripe to shell. 
At this stage a majority of the pods are turned a dark- 
brown color and the seeds are fully developed. Fre- 
quently the cutting can be raked into windrows after two 



90 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

hours if the weather is drying, and in two or three hours 
more put into cocks and let stand for twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours, as the weather may justify. It should, 
however, be well cured and thoroughly dry when put in 
the stack, or there is danger of heating, and stack- 
heating seriously injures the vitality of the seed. It is 
not uncommon, if extremely ripe, to leave the cutting in 
the swath only an hour or a half-hour, then stack, and let 
stand for autumn or later threshing. If allowed to 
stand in the stack for about thirty days, the entire mass 
goes through a sweating and curing process which makes 
the threshing easier, while less of the seed is left in the 
straw than would be if it had not stack-cured. In western 
Kansas many seed raisers cut their seed crop with a self- 
binder, put the sheaves in shocks the same day and thresh 
in about ten days, or put it into a stack to await a con- 
venient threshing time. They claim to secure 20 per 
cent more of the seed in this way than if they cut with 
the ordinary mower. Others cut with a mower having 
a dropper attachment which leaves the alfalfa in small 
bunches at the will of the driver, in the center of the 
swath, and these are "straddled" by the team and the 
wheels of the mower in the subsequent rounds. These 
bunches are left for two or three days and then stacked. 
There is little, if an}'', danger from mold or spontaneous 
combustion in stacks of alfalfa cut for seed, but there is 
danger of the seed heating in the stack if stacked when 
damp. If bright, clean seed is expected, the stacks must 
be well topped with slough grass, or covered with tarpau- 
lins or boards, or given other protection. It is better 
still to put the alfalfa intended for seed into a barn. 



HARVESTING 9 1 

YIELiDS OF SEED. 

The yield of seed ranges all the way from two to thir- 
teen bushels per acre, the normal yield in the seed regions 
being four to eight bushels. It is threshed with ordinary 
grain separators with seed attachments, although the 
clover-huller is usually preferred. No threshing machine 
cleans the seed satisfactorily or sufficiently, and a careful 
recleaning is necessary. Fanning mills or seed-cleaners 
are now made that will remove most weed seeds, seeds 
of dodder, and all light-weight and probably infertile 
alfalfa seeds. However, no raiser should by rights 
thresh, to say nothing of marketing, the seeds of the 
dodder or any other weed with his alfalfa; these should 
be cut out of the field with scythe, sickle or knife a 
month before the alfalfa is cut. 

The threshed alfalfa straw is worth only about half as 
much as the hay, yet it makes excellent feed for horses, 
colts and calves. Or, if put into stacks of alfalfa of the 
third cutting, in alternate layers, it may be fed to any 
stock to good advantage, as it is relished quite as well 
as ordinary third cuttings, notwithstanding its lower 
feeding value. 

THE THIRD CUTTING FOR SEED. 

Seed raisers in some instances, especially in Kansas, 
use the third cutting for seed, claiming that the pods are 
more uniformly filled and the seeds more generally fertile, 
due to the assistance of the bees in pollenation. They 
claim, too, that this cutting has fewer weeds and weed 
seeds than its predecessors; also that they are thus sure 
of two good hay crops, while often if they use the second 



92 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

crop for seed, the third crop is hardly worth more than 
the cutting. The only point left in favor of using the 
second cutting for seed, where the farmer is confident of 
a third, is that the protein value of the second is the 
lowest, and hence its hay can better be spared than that 
from any other cutting. 

The raising of seed in the more humid eastern states 
should not, generally, be attempted, as it will not only 
interfere with obtaining full value in the hay crop, but the 
less fertile soil will not produce as vigorous seed as will 
the newer and richer lands west of the Missouri river. 
At present the best seed for general use is produced 
between that river and the Rocky mountains. Utah 
produces a hardy seed, but much if not most of it is raised 
under irrigation, and, hence, at least theoretically, not 
deemed best adapted for regions dependent entirely upon 
soil moisture from rains. 




Gathering an Alfalfa Crop in Page County, Iowa 

Photograph by courtesy Henry Field 




^ iki' 



■2mc! t %.iJ^' 









Alfalfa Harvesting Scene in Yellowstone County, Montana 




Mast and Boom Stacker, with Six-Tined Jackson Fork 

The mast is held in place by guy ropes from the top. Leading to the right may be 

seen the rope to which is attached a team of horses. The base of the 

derrick is in the form of sled runners, so that the whole may 

be drawn along the stack by attaching a team. 




A Derrick Stacker 



ith six-tined Jackson or California fork. The derrick is substantial, and guy ropes 

are not necessary. Stakes driven into the ground around the 

base hold the derrick in place. 



CHAPTER VIII, 

Storing 

CARE IN CURING. 

After all possible care has been taken in seeding, cul- 
tivating and harvesting alfalfa, its feeding value may be 
greatly impaired or quite lost by ignorance or careless- 
ness in storing; that is, by stacking or putting it into 
sheds or barns, or by baling it for market when in an 
unsuitable condition. 

The only path to safety in stacking or storing in shed 
or mow is having the hay in proper condition for com- 
pleting its own curing. The true medium for its curing 
is air, not sun; the sun has done possibly more than its 
share already. But good hay is not completely and 
properly cured in swath, windrow and cock. If cured in 
the windrow, the exposed parts are liable to be much 
injured by the sun. Therefore the principle stands, 
"Handle alfalfa green." It must be cut green, teddered, 
raked and cocked or bunched while comparatively green, 
and must not then be allowed to dry and parch to brittle- 
ness. True, it must not be put into a stack so long as it is 
possible to wring water out of the stalks. A constant 
study should be 'to find the best method of getting the hay 
into storage without loss of its natural color. The method 



94 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

that will safely store it greenest will be the best to follow. 
Handled green the leaves are saved, and these constitute 
from 50 to 75 per cent of the whole value. 

PUTTING INTO WINTER QUARTERS. 

When (in regions of much humidity) the hay is 
safely in cock, covered with hay-caps, and has had a few 
days of curing, it is ready for permanent quarters. 
Remembering that the hay after its drying has begun 
should be handled as little as possible, the cocks have 
been made small enough so that two men may lift them 
bodily onto a wagon, if a wagon is used in the stacking. 
From the wagon, the hay is lifted by a hayfork to the 
stack. Or, more careful still, the farmer will use three 
slings to each wagon, which are lifted by a hook to the 
stack or mow. A sling is a heavy sheet the size of the 
wagon hayrack. One is spread on the bottom of the 
rack, another on top of the first one-third of the load, 
and the other on top of the second third. These slings 
are banded at the ends ; the ends are drawn together and 
a third of the load lifted to the stack or mow, thus saving 
in some instances a third more leaves than by any other 
method. 

In arid and semi-arid territory, where conditions are 
so entirely different, and where the product of large 
areas must be handled in a wholesale way within a short 
time, cocking and loading on or off wagons are dis- 
pensed with by dragging the rapidly dried hay directly 
to stacks built in the fields, where the lifting into place 
is done with great expedition by horse implements. 
Where these conditions prevail and untimely rains in 
the haying season are rare exceptions, a wheel-rake or 



STORING 95 

"go-devil" is used to take at once several cocks, bunches 
or a part of a windrow to a nearby stack. Others use a 
rope to drag one or more large cocks to the stack ; or, if 
the hay is to be taken from windrows, it may be put upon 
wagons with a loader. The loader is an excellent imple- 
ment for handling timothy and clover, but is apt to shake 
off a good many leaves of alfalfa if the hay is very dry. 

STORING IN THE BARN. 

The barn is the best place for alfalfa if all conditions 
are right. Cases of spontaneous combustion in stack 
and mow make farmers fearful of using the barn, espe- 
cially for the first cutting, which is always most difficult 
to cure. There are certain conditions that must be 
observed if this hay is to complete its curing properly 
and safely in the mow. The bottom of the mow should 
be elevated at least a foot from the ground, with poles 
or joists; if joists they should be about two-thirds cov- 
ered with boards or other material in such a way as to 
provide numerous openings or air spaces of considerable 
size. If the mow already has a tight floor, a part of the 
flooring should be removed before the hay is put in. 
Then a box or barrel should be placed in the center of 
the space and lifted up as the filling proceeds. If the 
mow is over thirty feet long, a second barrel should be 
used; that is, an air shaft should be left in about each 
fifteen to twenty feet. A layer of dry hay or straw sand- 
wiched in about every four or five feet, as the mow fills, 
can be used to much advantage. If the mow is large 
enough in length and width, an excellent, safe plan is to 
spread the first cutting over the entire bottom, filling up 



96 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

to a height of four or five feet. The second cutting 
may be placed over this, on top of a layer of straw, and 
the third cutting over this. There is virtually no danger 
from spontaneous combustion or from mold if this is 
done, and the hay will be as bright and green and almost 
as rich in protein in January as wlien harvested. 

J. W. Berry of Jewell county, Kansas, member of the 
board of regents of the state agricultural college, uses 
this method and bales his hay in October for the city 
markets, finding it in perfect condition. He puts his 
hay into the mow green, but not wet, direct from 
the cocks, or windrows the day it is cut, in layers 
about four feet deep, with the slightest possible loss 
of leaves, no bleaching and no injury by dew. In 
1905 he cut his alfalfa four times and stored the 
fourth cutting on top of the three preceding. He 
says that having an open floor and plenty of air from the 
outside, the hay can be put in the barn as described ; that 
it should not be tramped, and it will settle and cure per- 
fectly. The bottom layer or first cutting may show some 
dust when taken out if handled loose, but the color will 
be good and it will bale in with the other cuttings and all 
grade well. Hay cured in this way in 1904 graded 
"choice" in the St. Louis market. 

Spontaneous combustion does not occur very often, 
but It is a possibility, and it is well to bear in mind that 
hay may be put in the barn too green. Observation 
teaches that it never takes place unless the hay has been 
put in the barn while containing a large amount of mois- 
ture, and piled too deep. Alfalfa and other clover hays 
may safely be put in the barn when they contain not to 



STORING 97 

exceed 30 per cent of water. If, however, they contain 
much more than this there is considerable danger, espe- 
cially where large quantities are put together, as is the 
case in large, deep mows and sometimes in large stacks. 
A practical test which may be safely followed is to take a 
handful of hay, twist it as hard as possible, and if no juice 
can be wrung out of its stems, it is dry enough to be put 
in the mow. Bunches of wet hay mixed with dry hay 
have often caused combustion. Such should always be 
discarded. It is poor policy to haul clover hays into a barn 
after sundown, as at that time it absorbs moisture from 
the atmosphere very rapidly. 

It is a good plan for the haymaker to go into his mow 
every morning while the hay is curing and observe the 
conditions, but he should not, however, become alarmed 
if he finds that the top of his hay is very damp. This 
will always be the case, even if it was comparatively dry 
when put in ; considerable heat develops during the night, 
which in turn evaporates moisture. The following morn- 
ing, when the air is cool, a large percentage of this, 
especially if the mow is not well ventilated, is condensed 
and settles back on the hay. If the moisture, however, 
is excessive, it is a good plan to scatter a load of dry 
straw over the top. This will absorb the moisture in 
part, after which filling may be continued. In case a 
load has been put in the barn too wet, it should be spread 
to the outer edges, as there is much less danger of com- 
bustion at these places than in the center. In fact, the 
greatest heat is always developed in the center where the 
so-called craters form, and from which moisture and 
gases are given off as a result of heating and oxidation 
below. 



98 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

From the fact that spontaneous combustion cannot 
take place until the water has all been evaporated, there 
is no danger until three to four weeks after the hay has 
been stored. During the first week or so, if the hay 
heats to such an extent that there is danger of com- 
bustion, it is well to open up the center as much as pos- 
sible and allow some of the heat to escape. If, however, 
the heating has continued much longer, it is dangerous 
practice to open the hay at all, because all that is needed, 
after the water has been evaporated, is air, or oxygen to 
support combustion, and the mass will at once burst into 
flames. Sometimes combustion takes place without 
flames, in which case the center of the mow gradually 
chars, leaving the hay there as black as charcoal, and 
without value. 

Professor Cottrell, discussing spontaneous combustion 
(Kansas Bui. No. 114), says that all cases observed by 
him have occurred in hay of the season's first cutting — 
cut at a time when the growth was rank and the curing 
most diflicult. A period of wet, muggy weather in July 
or August increases the danger, which in dry weather 
seems much less. On account of previous trouble from 
heating in the barn, he had four years prior to writing 
stacked the first cutting out of doors and put only the 
later cuttings in the barn. 

LOSSES FROM STACKING. 

The Colorado station found that the loss in feeding 
value from the hour of cocking to the hour of taking from 
the stack was 12.4 per cent, while the loss in hay stored in 
the barn was but 2.5 per cent. If we add to this the 
stacked hay lost by exposure, it will easily reach more than 



STORING 99 

20 per cent under average conditions while in many cases 
it would reach 40 per cent. This certainly represents an 
enormous waste, and by preventing it a man with any con- 
siderable area of alfalfa could soon save enough to pay for 
a barn. 

THE HAY SHED. 

After a barn the next best place for storing hay is a 
shed with an adjustable or lifting roof. The ground 
dimensions should be ample to allow the first cutting to 
cover its floor and not be over five or possibly six feet 
deep when first put in. The bottom of the mow should be 
raised at least one foot from the ground, and the floor 
should have at least a six-inch air space about every three 
feet. The saving of leaves will in a few years pay for a 
floor. Spread the hay over the entire floor surface, on a 
layer of straw or other dry material. Use barrels or boxes 
as recommended for ventilation in the barn, and lower 
the roof until the second cutting. For such a roof the 
covering should be of some such material as ruberoid, and 
the rafters need not be heavy, except about every sixteen 
feet. Strong iron clamps can be easily adjusted to the 
supports. When the second cutting is ready, raise the 
roof, which should be in sections, and put the second crop 
on top of the first. This plan should be followed for the 
third or other cuttings. If a shed with a stationary roof 
is used, dry straw, or hay, or corn stover should be put on 
top of each cutting to protect the alfalfa from rain. 
Almost any kind of a shed or covered structure is prefer- 
able to a stack. 



100 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

CONDITIONS FOR STACKING. 

If the hay is to be stacked, there are also special condi- 
tions that the experienced insist should be observed. This 
is not to say that alfalfa hay stacked under conditions 
quite different may not give fair results, and much 
depends on the locality and the climate. However, the 
result desired is palatable and nutritious hay and not such 
as is moldy, stack-burned or dusty. Stacking the hay 
directly on the ground is sure to mean a loss of some por- 
tion of it. Elevate the bottom of the stack with poles, 
timbers or other like material; put straw at the bottom 
and, preferably, build a rick rather than a round stack. 
Start the bottom sixteen or eighteen feet wide and build 
straight up instead of tapering or slanting the sides, as 
alfalfa hay will not shed rain or snow water. If there is 
much moisture and it is convenient to do so, use a layer of 
straw or dry hay of some kind every five or six feet. Keep 
the stack full in the middle, or a little higher than the 
sides, and well tramped all the time. When the stack has 
reached the desired height, top it out with slough grass, 
or dry timothy or prairie hay, or very green alfalfa, or 
protect with tarpaulins or boards; the boards may be 
nailed and chained together, lapped and weighted at 
the corners, making a very satisfactory roof. If these 
directions are followed, the losses will be kept at a min- 
imum. The Kansas experiment station authorities say 
that in an experiment made there an application of 
salt to the hay when being stored seemed to decrease, if 
anything, rather than increase its feeding value. Lime 
applied in stacking is claimed to have a beneficial effect in 
preventing mold. 



STORING lOI 

The raised bottom and layers of straw are useful acces- 
sories for the stack, shed or mow, while the barrel or other 
ventilating contrivances should not be overlooked in either 
sheds or mows. 

STORING AS SILAGE. 

As land values increase and farmers and dairymen 
come to more fully appreciate the worth of green feed in 
winter, the silo grows in estimation. Eastern farmers 
who keep cows or young stock of any kind use the silo 
more or less, to conserve for winter the value of both 
green grass and corn. Alfalfa makes an excellent silage, 
but its peculiar quality of retaining its green food value, 
as hay, when properly cured, makes its ensiling much less 
a necessity. Alfalfa hay taken from the mow in Febru- 
ary, green, appetizing and nutritious, falls little, if any, 
short of serving the purposes of silage. 

O'FTEX PROFITABLE TO ENSILE THE FIRST CUTTING. 

However, it is not infrequently found that the first 
cutting of alfalfa may be ensiled directly from the field 
at a season when rains would prevent its proper curing 
for hay. If this is done, it is important that the rakes and 
wagons follow very closely after the mower, as even two 
hours of sun exposure In the swath lessens Its value for 
silage. Men who have cut alfalfa during a light rain and 
raked and hauled it directly to the silo have reported sat- 
isfactory results. Others report having cut it in the 
late afternoon and, the next morning, after a heavy rain, 
raked and hauled it to the silo while dripping wet. 
Therefore the farmer In the eastern and southern states, 
in the Pacific Northwest, or even in the central states 



I02 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

may, on occasion, plan for the ensiling of his first cutting, 
in the faith that it will come out in fine condition if his 
silo is properly constructed. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR SILOING. 

The Kansas and Colorado experiment stations recom- 
mend that alfalfa for silage should be cut into lengths 
of, say, two inches. Long alfalfa does not pack suffi- 
ciently close in the silo, and when so stored the loss is 
much more than if in short lengths. It should always be 
heavily weighted and great care taken to pack it well at 
the outer edges. Round silos are most approved because 
their contents are more readily compacted. The points 
urged by Professor Ten Eyck, of the Kansas experi- 
ment station, are, (a) getting the alfalfa to the silo 
quickly after mowing, allowing little, if any, curing; (b) 
cutting the alfalfa into short lengths rather than storing 
it whole; (c) packing it tightly, and weighting heavily 
when all in. He says, however, that if the weather will 
permit proper curing of the alfalfa, it will make more val- 
uable winter feed as hay than as silage. 

BAIilNG. 

The increasing general demand for alfalfa hay in the 
city markets of the United States, away from the dis- 
tinct alfalfa regions, has made finding a method of pre- 
paring it for economic shipment of much importance. 
The compressing of timothy and prairie hay has become 
so general that alfalfa raisers and shippers are also fol- 
lowing this method. The problem of saving the leaves, 
and, at the same time, being able to market alfalfa green, 
has been hard to solve. Baling it uncured meant mold, 



STORING 103 

and baling it when very dry meant loss of leaves and, 
hence, loss in feeding and selling value. The Kansas 
station a few years ago carried on a series of experiments 
extending over several years from which the conclusion 
was that the only safe procedure is to cure carefully in 
the field, put in the stack or mow, and bale after the final 
sweating — say thirty days. Most of the hay cured and 
baled in the field was moldy or brown. It is possible, 
however, that a more careful curing, the use of hay-caps, 
letting it stand for several days in cock, baling, and then 
storing in an open shed, the bales stacked on edge and 
separated about every third layer by poles, rails or rafters, 
might result in securing high-grade hay direct from the 
field without stacking. Seemingly it will never be safe, 
away from the semi-arid regions, to bale the first cutting 
from the field; but the secret may yet be found of so 
baling the second and third cuttings and obtaining prime 
hay. Its doing is not likely to prove satisfactory, how- 
ever, except in the drier portions of the alfalfa district 
where large cocks of, say, 500 pounds may be made and 
left standing for several days before baling. But baling 
is not likely to be largely followed except in territory 
where extensive areas are devoted to alfalfa. When 
practically every farmer in the United States has his field 
pf alfalfa as he now has of corn, cotton or clover, the 
greater part of the product will be fed on the farm and 
the surplus hauled direct to the local markets. Western 
Kansas and Nebraska alfalfa raisers are having this 
problem solved for them by the growing practice of 
stockmen shipping cattle and sheep from the mountain 
ranges to be fed or fattened where the hay is raised, and 
hauled directly from the stack to the feed lots^ 



104 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

POOR STUFF. 

Hay dealers report that much of the baled alfalfa 
shipped is poor stuff. They advise small bales, weighing 
about sixty to eighty pounds ; about 27 to 36 inches long, 
14 or 15 inches thick and 18 inches high when laid on 
edge. They also recommend that in loading a car 
the bales be placed on their edges instead of on the sides, 
as they are less liable to heat. The problem of the city 
hay dealer is to sell what he has received, with satisfac- 
tion to the purchaser and profit to himself and to his 
client. If he receives moldy, dead hay, with little protein 
value, he is not able to please his customer, not able to 
secure a good price, and, hence, not able to please either 
shipper or buyer. The farmer who raises and ships hay 
and receives two dollars less per ton for it than his neigh- 
bor, should learn by such money losses the necessity of 
harvesting and storing his product properly, 

A. S. Hitchcock says in Farmers' Bulletin No. 215, of 
the United States Department of Agriculture, that the 
baled hay for export to Alaska, Hawaii, and other trans- 
oceanic points is compressed by the process known as 
double compression, done with baling machines oper- 
ated by electricity or hydraulic power. The hay obtained 
by loosening the ordinary bale is compressed into square 
or cylindrical packages of smaller and more compact form 
than the ordinary bale. The hydraulic presses used for 
making the round bales are similar to those used for the 
cylindrical bales of cotton. The measurements of the 
different types of double-compressed bales are about as 
follows: Square, 15 by 18 by 38 inches, weight 160 
pounds; square bale for Alaskan trade, 14 by 18 by 26 



STORING 105 

inches, weight 100 pounds; round bale, 2 feet in diam- 
eter, 24 inches long, weight 145 pounds, or 36 inches 
long, weight 260 pounds. The saving of space in transit 
may best be understood by comparing the weight and 
cubic contents of baled and compressed hay. The ordi- 
nary bale occupies 140 to 160 cubic feet per ton, the 
double-compressed square bales 85 feet per ton, and 
round bales 55 feet per ton. The most essential point in 
loading new hay into a car is to see that it is not loaded 
flat, that is, with the flat sides of the bale up. When 
loaded this way, with the smooth sides of the bales 
together, no space is left for air and as a consequence the 
hay not infrequently heats. A properly loaded car has the 
edges or rough sides of the bales together. This allows 
air space between tlie bales and always prevents danger of 
heating. 

A new machine is being introduced which makes (from 
the windrow if desired) a cylindrical bale, with a hollow 
space lengthwise through its middle. This open space 
must undoubtedly facilitate the curing of hay baled before 
sufficiently dry. The machine has a capacity of four to 
six tons per hour, makes a bale thirty-six inches long and 
twenty inches or less in diameter, as desired, bound with 
twine, and the hay can be eaten from the bale, with a 
minimum of waste, without unfastening. This baler, if 
it justifies the claims of its inventors, should be very use- 
ful to those who grow alfalfa for marketing away from 
the farm. 

GRADING AND GRADES OF ALFALFA HAY. 

On account of the increasing demands for alfalfa hay, 
and growth in the business of selling it in cities, dealers 



I06 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

have found that the estabHshment of some uniform and 
generally accepted method of grading the different qual- 
ities was a business necessity. As a result of this its con- 
sideration was taken up by the National Hay Association's 
committee on grades and upon the committee's recommen- 
dation the association in 1905 adopted the following clas- 
sification : 

Choice Alfalfa — Shall be reasonably fine, leafy alfalfa, 
of bright green color, properly cured, sound, sweet and 
well baled. 

No. I Alfalfa — Shall be coarse alfalfa of bright, green 
color, or reasonably fine, leafy, of good color, and may 
contain five per cent of foreign grasses; must be well 
baled, sound and sweet. 

No. 2 Alfalfa — Shall include alfalfa somewhat 
bleached, but of fair color, reasonably leafy, not more 
than one-eighth foreign grasses, sound and well baled. 

No. 3 Alfalfa — Shall include bleached alfalfa, or alfalfa 
mixed with not to exceed one-fourth foreign grasses, but 
when mixed must be of fair color, sound and well baled. 

No-Grade Alfalfa — Shall include all alfalfa not good 
enough for other grades, caked, musty, grassy, or 
threshed. 




Lattice Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Cattle 




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Box Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Sheep 



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Lattice Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Sheep 





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Box Rack for Feeding Alfalfa to Cattle 



CHAPTER IX. 

Pasttiring and Soiling 

PASTURING NOT AliWAYS ECONOMY. 

Its perennial nature and the reports of its wonderfully 
productive and nutritive qualities might naturally lead 
the farmer, without better acquaintance, to suppose that 
with alfalfa he has a perpetual pasture ; that he will open 
the gate to his live stock in the spring, send for the butcher 
or buyer in October, and then winter in luxurious leisure. 
But he finds that the easiest is not always the most profit- 
able way. Pasturing with any stock is an expensive and 
extravagant method of gathering a valuable crop from 
high-priced land. Where land is cheap and pasture is 
wildj stock are not expensive help in gathering a cheap 
crop; but it is easily demonstrated that when land values 
are high and a crop value is in a like altitude, man with 
machinery can do the harvesting more economically than 
can a cow, a steer or even a sheep. 

ALFALFA A TENDER PLANT. 

In some respects alfalfa does not seem to be a natural 
pasture plant. The stems are delicate, it will not thrive in 
a hard, trampled soil, and the crowns when broken off will 
not revive; if some of the plants bloom and drop their 
flowers early in the season, they lose vigor and many of 
them die. These peculiarities would at least indicate that 



I08 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

it should not be pastured at all until it has become estab- 
lished, has its crowns well spread, has abundant stems and 
its roots have a strong start on their underground career. 
Not an animal should be turned on an alfalfa field until 
the second or third year if it is desired that the stand 
endure for several years, nor should it be pastured too 
early in the spring or too late in the fall. There should 
be something of a growth left for winter protection. 
Careful alfalfa raisers are known who pasture their older 
fields, but never put on a full quota of stock until they 
have cut over the field when the plants are first coming 
into bloom. They insist that this cutting invigorates 
and gives the plants new life. They then pasture quite 
closely until some time in September, after which there is 
time for some final growth for winter protection. 

A GOOD SWINE PASTUr.E. 

A chief exception that most farmers insist on is that it 
is an excellent pasture for pigs and, if it is not stocked 
too heavily, its use for grazing young swine will not 
largely decrease the yield of hay. Its marked protein 
property seems to give to the pigs a superior growth of 
frame and flesh. Farmers claim that pigs a few weeks 
old turned into an alfalfa field derive almost their entire 
living from it and leave the sows two weeks earlier than 
other pigs, coming out in September with a gain of from 
ICO to 125 pounds, while the field has yielded its three 
cuttings of hay. Of course, if too many pigs are grazed, 
the hay yield will be less. But even here the question of 
labor versus hay must be considered. 



PASTURING AND SOILING IO9 

DANGERS TO CATTLE AND SHEEP. 

The greatest objection to pasturing alfalfa is its bloat- 
ing cattle and sheep. Hogs and horses do not suffer, 
although a Texas farmer writes that he lost some pigs 
from something similar to bloat that he attributed to the 
alfalfa. But this may be considered questionable, as thou- 
sands have regularly pastured hogs and horses on alfalfa 
with no symptoms of bloat. From hundreds of inquiries 
sent out by the experiment stations, it is determined that 
over ninety per cent of those who have pastured cattle or 
sheep on alfalfa have lost one or more animals by doing 
so, yet many report having pastured the same kind of 
stock on alfalfa for years, regularly every season, with- 
out loss. Careful investigations have been made with 
the purpose of finding out why some have been immune 
while others suffered. Since, in the cases of loss, only a 
small proportion of the animals pastured are affected, it 
may be inferred that much depends upon the nature and 
condition of the individual animal. Practically every 
western station has carefully experimented, following 
the directions of men who have been free from loss, yet 
it has cost each station valuable animals. 

Horse stock of all ages find alfalfa pasturage con- 
ducive to growth, fattening, and their general health. 
If the foliage is short and scant, horses are severe on the 
fields used in winter because they are able to crop 
close, and not infrequently paw loose dirt away from 
the plants, biting off the crowns a fourth or even half 
inch below the surface of the ground. It is easy to under- 
stand that the loss of the bud or growing point may be 
detrimental to the growth and usefulness of the plants, 



no THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

causing many to die, resulting in bare spots later to be 
overgrown by noxious weeds and grasses. After the 
damage is done there remains no remedy but to plow up 
the field and reseed, or to disk thoroughly and then reseed 
the bare spots. If the field has not deteriorated too much, 
the latter is much to be preferred. By diligence and 
careful treatment, or prompt action closely following any 
encroachments upon the life of the plants, the quality and 
yield may be maintained and the profits relatively 
enhanced. Alfalfa has wonderful recuperative powers, 
but continuous nipping of the crowns will do most 
serious harm and eventually decrease the yield not a little. 

EXPEKrENCES WITH CATTLE. 

One man reports turning eighty steers into one alfalfa 
field where there was running water, and a second herd 
into another field without running water, but water ran 
through a wild grass meadow adjoining, into which this 
herd was driven every afternoon and turned back into 
the alfalfa the next morning. The first herd suffered no 
loss, while five valuable animals died in the second field 
on the second day, before they could be removed. When 
all were put into the first field there was no more bloat. 
Another reported turning cows into a small field where 
there was a trough full of water all the time. Here, as 
in the case of the steers, a full feed was given before the 
cows were turned on the alfalfa. Before noon one cow 
had to be relieved by a trocar, and another by being driven 
rapidly about the field. The wherefores of such occur- 
rences present a problem yet to be solved. Certainly there 
is more danger in pasturing cows and sheep on alfalfa 



PASTURING AND SOILING III 

than most people care to risk. Aside from the financial 
loss, there is, also, the humane side of the question. 

A very fair statement, representative of those made by 
parties who pasture cattle on alfalfa without losses from 
bloat, is the following, given to the author by Mr. S. C. 
Hanna, an extensive and reputable breeder of Short- 
horns, in Elk county, (southern) Kansas, who says: 

"I have been pasturing alfalfa successfully without 
bloating my cattle, for a number of years; in fact, I have 
never lost an animal from alfalfa bloat. As I am raising 
high priced, pure bred Short horns and graze them on 
my meadows more or less at all times of year, I always 
sow a good mixture of English blue-grass {Festuca 
elatior) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) with it, 
making alfalfa the base and principal seeding. I am very 
partial to orchard grass in this mixture because it makes 
considerable hay, and springs up so quickly after each 
mowing. In this section orchard grass is a stayer, and 
will hold its own against all comers. 

"I always am cautious when we first turn the cattle on 
alfalfa, seeing to it that they have a good fill on some- 
thing else beforehand, and hold them at first on some 
part of the field where the mixed grasses are the thickest, 
so they can graze there first. In twenty minutes they will 
be safe to go where they wish, and may be allowed to 
run at will thereafter. I find, however, that on the clear 
alfalfa meadows there is almost no danger from bloat 
after the plants have begun to bloom. I usually have 
some hay stacked in the pastures, that the cattle may run 
to. I have, however, pastured alfalfa in all stages where 
there would be perhaps twenty acres of alfalfa in one 



112 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

place, and some prairie grass and also tame grasses in 
the same enclosure, and had no bloat. This has been, 
too, sometimes in May and June, when showers were 
frequent and the alfalfa most succulent. It would seem 
that the cattle will take care of themselves if they have a 
good chance. I usually superintend these changes per- 
sonally, and see that all conditions are right. 

"I find we get almost as much hay from the mixed 
fields as from the exclusively alfalfa meadows, and the 
fall aftermath is much better. The theory that alfalfa 
will not flourish with the other grasses is wrong. My 
favorite meadows contain a mixture of this kind, includ- 
ing some red clover, and I have cut four good crops of 
hay from them this season, after pasturing moderately 
from March 15 to May i. I always get the stock horses 
and mules on pasture by March 15, and the cattle about 
April I, and move them to wild grass prairie pasture 
about May i, except a few that we will keep on the 
meadows all season. These we change from one field to 
another when the alfalfa becomes tall enough to be 
trampled down or damaged. 

'Tf my object was only to raise hay for market, I would 
sow the alfalfa alone and keep the stock off altogether, 
but for my purpose I prefer a mixture. By doing my way 
I never miss a good stand, and the mixture keeps down 
the foxtail and crab-grass. I have been sowing this mix- 
ture for about fifteen years, and have over 300 acres." 

Mr. J. F. Stodder of Cowley county, Kansas, a promi- 
nent breeder of pure bred cattle, makes this statement to 
the author, which is simply further testimony that a mix- 



PASTURING AND SOILING II 3 

ture of other grasses with alfalfa intended for grazing 
greatly diminishes, if it does not entirely eliminate, the 
risk and dangers of bloat : 

"I have several fields of mixed grasses. These contain 
enough alfalfa so that we cut them for hay at regular 
times, and the proportion of grasses and alfalfa is largely 
in favor of the latter. In such fields as these I pasture 
cattle at will, and have never seen any evidence of bloat 
therefrom. But my experience with the straight alfalfa 
fields leads me to be very cautious. I find that I can pas- 
ture them at times without danger, and at other times a 
large proportion of the cattle will bloat. It is possible that 
I have made the statement that I never lost cattle by pas- 
turing alfalfa, which is true, because we have always 
been lucky enough to discover the ailing animals in time 
to give them relief." 

Mr. F. S. Kirk of Oklahoma, mentioned in Chapter 
III, pastures his cattle on alfalfa in fall and spring, 
but does not give them access to his meadows in the 
morning until the dew has dried off, and for only twenty 
or thirty minutes the first day or two; then for an hour 
or two for a few days, and after that they are left in the 
pastures until sundown. 

GENERALLY DANGEROUS TO SHEEP. 

Experiments with sheep seem to be even more disas- 
trous than with cattle. In an investigation conducted by 
the Colorado station, losses were reported by nearly every 
man who had pastured sheep on alfalfa. Some lost but 
one or two, while others lost forty or fifty. A few re- 
ported that each spring they lost a few sheep the first 



114 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

day they were on the pasture, and then no more, and 
that the losses of old sheep were of less importance than 
the growth of the Iambs, these being seldom affected by 
bloat. Most, however, advised that the old should not be 
turned on alfalfa under any circumstances, but that 
lambs, if well fed in the morning, let on the alfalfa after 
the dew was off and then kept there night and day 
would do well, and the loss be smaller than that in a nor- 
mal season from other causes. J. E. Wing states that his 
loss from pasturing lambs on alfalfa in Ohio is less than 
it formerly was from one or two parasitic diseases that 
never trouble alfalfa-pastured lambs. He gives his lambs 
a full feed in the morning, turns them on the alfalfa field 
about ten o'clock, and leaves them there continuously 
until September. He begins the pasturing just before 
the seasons first growth of the alfalfa blooms. 

While by no means without risk, pasturing sheep on 
alfalfa is not always necessarily fatal and the following, 
related in the Breeder's Gazette by Mr. C. H. Williams 
of Powell county, Montana, is interesting : 

"We have been pasturing sheep in large numbers on 
alfalfa for the past eight years. We have lost from bloat 
as many as 26 in one day from a flock of 1600, but we 
seldom lose one now. We find they are much more apt to 
bloat on windy days; more especially if the wind blows 
from the south and is soft and balmy. This may seem 
strange, but we believe it a fact. We have in our employ 
a shepherd who has during the greater part of his life 
herded sheep on alfalfa in the vicinity of Pau and 
d'Oloron, France. The day we lost 26 ewes from bloat 
this man was several miles from the home ranch. When 



PASTURING AND SOILING II 5 

visited by the camptender he remarked : 'This will be a 
bad day for the old ewes on the alfalfa.' Why so? 
'Because the wind is soft and warm/ said he. That 
afternoon we found 26 dead. 

"Our French shepherd has a simple and never failing 
remedy for bloat from alfalfa or clover. It is simply a 
half-pint of sweet milk administered to the animal when 
found bloated. I saved a fine ram lamb the other day. He 
was fearfully bloated, unable to walk and scarcely able to 
breathe. I found an old can in the road, hastened to the 
pasture, milked a half-pint of milk from a cow, set the 
lamb on his rump and poured the milk down his throat. 
In a half hour he was all right and following the flock. 
Milk from a ewe will answer just as well. We have 
adopted the following rules : Never allow the sheep to 
go on alfalfa pasture when very hungry; if possible get a 
little dry feed in their stomachs in the morning before 
going to the alfalfa; watch them closely on windy days, 
and have the herders carry a bottle of sweet milk." 

A POSSmiiE EXPIiANATION. 

The most of the losses reported were of animals which 
had been taken off the pasture at night and turned back 
the second morning when hungry and eager to graze. 
Yet there are reports of severe losses the first day, even 
after a full feed. Possibly it will be found that the ani- 
mals that suffer from bloat are not in good physical con- 
dition, and are more nervous and greedy in their habit of 
eating than those not affected. It may be that an intelli- 
gfent sorting of the animals to be turned on the pasture 



Il6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

might save loss. It is also quite generally believed that 
alfalfa growing on uplands is less liable to cause bloat 
than that raised on bottom lands. 

RULES FOR PASTURING. 

The most generally approved rules in regard to pas- 
turing are : 

At the beginning of the pasturing season give animals 
a heavy feeding in the morning before turning upon the 
alfalfa. 

Have water In the pasture all the time. 

Keep the animals in the pasture night and day, after 
they have become accustomed to it, until removed per- 
manently. 

Use upland in preference to bottom fields for pasture. 

Watch the stock closely the first few days and remove 
permanently animals that show symptoms of bloat. 

Sow blue-grass, brome grass, or meadow fescue with 
alfalfa in fields intended for permanent pasture. 

The following valuable information upon bloat (tym- 
panitis) and its treatment was prepared by Nelson S. 
Mayo, formerly professor of veterinary science at the 
Kansas agricultural college : 

"Bloating, in all cases, is accumulation of gas in the 
stomach or intestines, or both, but more particularly in 
the paunch (rumen). This gas is produced by a fermen- 
tation, similar to that observed when cider is 'working' 
and the gas escapes in bubbles. There is usually a small 
quantity of gas given off from the food during normal, 
healthy digestion, but so small that it causes no trouble, 
and passes off readily through the intestines, though 



PASTURING AND SOILING 117 

sometimes from the stomach, up the esophagus, and out 
of the nose or mouth — 'belched up/ as it is commonly- 
expressed. These gases which cause an animal to bloat 
are generated in considerable quantities if a large amount 
of juicy, green food is eaten. Alfalfa, clover and frozen 
roots are very liable to produce bloating. 

"It is well known that only part of the animals in a 
herd pasturing upon clover or alfalfa bloat; so the blame 
cannot be laid entirely upon the food, but is probably the 
result of a slight derangement of the digestive organs, 
not ordinarily noticed, but easily aggravated by certain 
foods which ferment easily. Animals that are ailing are 
very liable to bloat when turned on alfalfa pastures. 
Alfalfa and clover are much more liable to produce bloat- 
ing if wet with rain or dew, and especially hoar frost, 
and animals are more apt to bloat if turned into the pas- 
tures when very hungry, as they gorge themselves, and 
the food is not properly masticated. Hence, cattle should 
not be allowed to go hungry to the pastures. 

"It is generally believed by those who have had con- 
siderable experience in pasturing clover or alfalfa, that 
cattle and sheep are less liable to bloat if they have free 
access to dry food, such as hay or straw. Common bloat- 
ing, or hoove, occurs in animals having a compound 
stomach and that chew the cud — ruminants, as they are 
called. Of our common domestic animals, cattle and 
sheep belong to this order. 

"One of the first symptoms noticed is that the animal 
stops feeding, and remains lagging behind or stands by 
itself. Rumination, or chewing the cud, is suspended; 
the animal appears dull and listless, the back slightly 



Il8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

arched; the whole abdomen or belly is distended with a 
prominent swelling on the left side just forward of the 
point of the hip. If this swelling is tapped lightly with 
the fingers there is a hollow, drum-like sound ; hence the 
technical name, tympanitis. 

"The rumen being distended with gas not only makes 
the animal appear much fuller than usual, but it presses 
forward on the diaphragm, or 'midriff,' and this presses 
against the lungs, and interferes seriously with the ani- 
mal's breathing. The breath is short and rapid. The 
animal often grunts, or moans, with each breath. The 
animal's nose protrudes, and there is a driveling of saliva 
from the mouth. Sometimes there are quite severe 
colicky pains, shown by the animal's kicking at its belly 
and stepping about uneasily. Sometimes, also, the pres- 
sure is so great as to cause eversion or bulging out of the 
rectum. The symptoms of bloating are so prominent, 
especially when the history of the case is taken into 
account, as to make this disease very easy to recognize, 
even by an ordinary observer. 

"When animals die from bloating, death usually takes 
place in the following manner : The diaphragm is 
pressed against the lungs so hard that the animal cannot 
breathe, and it dies of suffocation. Animals usually 
remain standing until near the end, when they gradually 
lose consciousness, stagger, and fall, and in falling rup- 
ture some of the vital organs. 

"Treatment must depend somewhat upon the condition 
of the animal. If the animal is badly bloated, with 
labored breathing and staggering gait, energetic meas- 
ures must be resorted to at once. The best and most 



PASTURING AND SOILING II9 

satisfactory treatment for bad cases is tapping. This con- 
sists in making a hole through the skin and muscles, over 
the prominent swelling on the left side, into the rumen 
or 'paunch,' thus allowing the gas to escape at once, reliev- 
ing the animal. 

'The best method of tapping is by means of an instru- 
ment called a trocar and cannula. A trocar is a sharp- 
pointed instrument, five or six inches long, and about the 
size of a lead pencil, with a handle at one end. Over the 
point of the trocar slips a tube, called a cannula, not quite 
as long as the trocar, with a wide flange around the upper 
end of the tube, as shown in the illustration herewith. 

TROCAR AND CANNULA. 

'To use a trocar and cannula, proceed as follows : Tie 
the animal so it cannot get away. With a sharp knife, 
make a small incision through the skin over the promi- 
nent part of the swelling on the left side. This incision 




Trocar and Cannula 



should be made about half way between the point of the 
hip and the last rib, and should be large enough to admit 
the trocar and cannula readily. The incision should be 
made quickly; then the animal will not notice it. After 
the incision is made the trocar and cannula are pushed 
quickly in and directed downward, inward, and forward ; 
push the trocar in until the flange of the cannula rests 
against the skin. Withdraw the trocar and the gas will 
lush out; that is, it usually does so; occasionally, how- 



I20 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ever, the end of the cannula is plugged up with green 
food. This can usually be remedied by pulling out the 
cannula part way, or pushing the trocar in again and 
withdrawing it. If this doesn't work, tap the stomach 
again in another place, using the same hole through the 
skin. The escape of gas is usually accompanied by a 
small quantity of green food. 

"If a trocar and cannula are not available in an urgent 
case, a knife can be used very successfully — a good-sized 
pocket knife blade, pushed quickly through the skin and 
muscles, in the same manner as described for the trocar 
and cannula. Care must be taken that the sharp edge of 
the blade is not turned towards the animal's tail, as it 
sometimes jumps forward, and a much larger hole is cut 
than was originally intended. 

"A careful and observing stockman of Colorado, who 
has had a large experience with alfalfa bloating, informs 
me that he prefers a moderately small, sharp butcher 
knife to either a trocar and cannula or a pocket knife. It 
gives relief quicker and with no bad effects. Sometimes, 
if the opening through the skin is small, made by a small 
knife, a quill or small tube is fastened in to keep the incis- 
ion open, so the gas can escape. It is usually necessary 
to keep the incision open for several hours. The only bad 
result of tapping is that occasionally green food gets 
outside of the rumen into the abdominal cavity in suffi- 
cient quantities to cause inflammation and death; but if 
the operation is intelligently performed, these bad results 
are extremely rare — probably not more than one case in 
lOO. If the weather is warm, care should be taken that 
flies do not bother the wound in the skin. 



PASTURING AND SOILING 121 

"If the case is not severe enough to warrant tapping, 
the following remedies will be found useful: A gag 
made by winding a good-sized rope back of the horns and 
through the mouth, or a bit, made of a piece of wood the 
size of a fork handle, can be tied in the animal's mouth. 
The bit should be smooth, to prevent injuring the mouth. 
Then a small handful of salt should be thrown well back 
on the roots of the tongue. This causes the animal to 
work its tongue, increases the flow of saliva, and thus 
favors the regurgitation, or gulping up, of the gas. The 
salt and saliva which are swallowed help to stop the fer- 
mentation. 

"Blankets wrung out of cold water and wrapped 
around the abdomen or belly, or cold water dashed on 
with a bucket, often give relief. Turpentine given as a 
drench, in milk sufficient that it will not irritate the 
animal, is good, two ounces of turpentine for adult cattle 
and one-half ounce for sheep being a dose. Hyposul- 
phite of soda, dissolved in water and given as a drench, 
is good ; one ounce for cattle and two drachms for sheep. 
This can be repeated every half hour for two or three 
doses. Aqua ammonia, two ounces for cattle and one- 
half ounce for sheep, well diluted with water; carbolic 
acid, cattle 30 drops, sheep 8 to 10 drops, in sufficient 
water; common soda, in half-ounce doses for cattle and 
one-half drachm for sheep, can be given. In giving medi- 
cine as drenches, they should be well diluted with water 
or other substances until they will not burn when touched 
to the tongue. In giving drenches, be careful and not 
choke the animal. If the animal coughs or struggles 
violently, stop at once until it recovers somewhat. Give 
drenches slowly. 



122 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"Drenches are mostly administered from a long-necked, 
thick, glass bottle, or drenching horn. Take hold of the 
nose with the left hand, by putting the thumb and finger 
in the nostrils, while an assistant takes hold of the horns, 
and tips the head back. Standing on the right side of 
the animal, with the right hand put the neck of the bottle 
in the right corner of the mouth, and pour the medicine 
in slowly. After the bloating has been relieved, it is a 
good plan to give the animal a purgative — one pound of 
Epsom salts, with one-half pound common salt, for 
cattle; and for a sheep, six ounces of Epsom salts and 
three ounces of common salt, dissolved in plenty of warm 
water, and given as a drench. The animals should also 
be dieted until their digestive organs regain their normal 
condition. By dieting, I do not mean starving, but 
plenty of easily digested and nutritious food. An animal 
that bloats once is very liable to bloat again. By judi- 
cious handling and feeding, by watching animals closely, 
and treating them in time, few will be lost by alfalfa 
bloating." 

ALFALFA AS A SOILING CROP. 

Alfalfa may be cut for soiling just when it contains 
the highest per cent of protein, while if pastured some is 
eaten before its best period, the most of It after that 
point is reached, and probably a large portion of the 
leaves Is lost entirely. Cut for soiling and fed daily, 
when wilted, there is less danger from bloat, as in this 
way animals will eat stalks as well as leaves; the entire 
product is used and there is no loss from trampling the 
fields nor by plants being covered and smothered with 
animal droppings. 



PASTURING AND SOILING I23 

SOME COMPARISONS. 

The Nebraska station reports that in an experiment 
there it required .71 of an acre to keep a cow for a given 
time by soiling, while by pasturing it required 3.63 acres ; 
also that the cowo kept on pasture during the experiment 
actually consumed more grain than those that were soiled. 
This report further states that while the pastured cows 
gave more milk each day, the cost of production was 
greater. By another experiment with cows for a single 
year it was indicated (Bui. No. 69) "that about twice 
as much feed was secured from the land when the alfalfa 
was soiled as when it was pastured. The average daily 
production of milk and of butterfat was markedly greater 
when the crop was pastured than when soiled. In one 
test this amounted to one-third more, but in the other 
test the difference was not so great. The profits from 
soiling as compared with pasturing will depend largely 
on two factors — the price of labor and the value of the 
land." 

A western Kansas farmer writes that one acre of 
alfalfa cut daily for soiling maintained as many cows as 
he was able to keep on a five-acre field used as pasture. 

The Kansas station reported that in an experiment, 
lasting 144 days, the cows on alfalfa pasture returned an 
income, less cost of grain fed, of $4.23, while cows soiled 
on alfalfa cut and fed green returned an income, less the 
grain fed, of $18.08. This station also reported that a 
neighboring dairyman maintained ten milch cows for a 
whole summer, without any grain, on two acres of alfalfa, 
cut and fed to them fresh three times a day. 



124 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

A METHOD FOR THE SMALL FARMER. 

In the Central West where labor is scarce and land 
comparatively low In price, farmers are not likely to adopt 
the soiling system while such conditions exist; but east 
of the Mississippi river, and especially in New York, 
Pennsylvania and New England, where land is high and 
labor less scarce, alfalfa offers great possibilities as a soil- 
ing crop. The small farmer who now cannot afford to 
raise many pigs, because he does not raise enough corn to 
fatten them, will find that by soiling alfalfa he can main- 
tain from May to September from five acres as many as 
ten cows and fifty pigs; and that these pigs, with some 
grain from the first of August, while being fed green 
alfalfa, may by the middle of November be made ready for 
market. If he has another five acres of alfalfa for hay, it 
will yield enough in three cuttings to go far toward win- 
tering his cows, a team of horses, and his sows. His ten 
acres will be growing richer every year, and at the end of 
five years be in prime condition to yield him big returns in 
corn, wheat, or potatoes and other vegetables. Alfalfa is 
distinctly a crop adapted to the small farmer, everywhere ; 
there is, as a rule, little question that this method of utiliz- 
ing it brings much greater returns per acre than if it were 
used as pasturage or hay. 

Green alfalfa when pastured, (barring bloat), or cut 
and fed daily is peculiarly valuable for all such young 
stock as colts, lambs, calves and pigs. It tends to develop 
strength of bone and hastens the growth of muscle. 



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CHAPTER X. 

Alfalfa As a Feed Stuff 

AS AN APPETIZER. 

The feeding value of alfalfa is largely in its chemical 
compound known as protein; its extreme digestibility is 
another desirable quality to be considered, and not least 
is its appetizing character. Not only do all animals like 
it, but when given in moderate quantities it seems to 
increase the general appetite for more fat-making feeds. 
Steers beginning to "fall off" on a heavy diet of corn will 
come to their appetites after being fed only a few pounds 
of alfalfa daily, and will eat and assimilate more corn 
than before. 

Alfalfa alone is not a fat-making feed. Animals fed 
upon it grow in weight, but the weight is principally of 
bone, blood and muscle. It is without a sufficiency of fat 
and carbohydrates, and these should be added in such 
foods as corn, corn meal, Kafir corn, or Kafir corn meal ; 
or to a limited degree even in corn stover, sorghum or 
millet. When alfalfa is fed alone all the protein cannot 
be digested, and, therefore, it is always economical to add 
some carbonaceous foods, if animals are fattening for 
market. 



126 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



For several years feeders have been deploring the fact 
that fattening mainly with corn was becoming less and 
less profitable. When they began to figure the exact 
cost of each pound of gain on a steer or hog, they saw 
clearly that corn alone made the pound of gain cost too 
much ; sometimes as much as it was worth in the market, 
leaving neither profit nor interest on the investment. 
The problem then became how to produce the pound of 
meat more economically. 

Such a condition has prompted the state stations to 
make tests to determine the feeding value of various 
articles, and especially the value of alfalfa as a balance to 
the more carbonaceous foods. The tables here appended 
are worth studying: 

FOOD VALUE OF SEVERAL FODDER CROPS. 

(From New York experiment station Bui. No. ii8.) 



Alfalfa 

Com, entire plant 

Red clover 

Oats and peas. . . . 

Timothy 

Rutabagas 

Mangels 

Sugar beets 



Yield per acre 
of total crop. 


Dry matter 
per acre. 


Pounds. 


Pounds. 


34,100 
28,000 


8,000 
5,800 


18,000 


5,220 


13,000 


3,120 


10,000 
31,700 
25,000 
17,800 


3.400 
3.500 
2,500 



Total digesti- 
ble matter 
per acre. 



Pounds. 

5,280 
3,800 
3,200 
2,521 
2,000 
3,000 
2,750 
1,800 



Digestible 
protein. 



Pounds. 

875 
300 
491 
350 
228 
279 
232 
213 



ANALYSES OF FEEDSTUFFS. 

The following table gives the analyses of a number of 
feedstuffs, showing the percentage of digestible nutrients 
and fertilizing constituents in each : 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF I 27 

(From Texas experiment station Bui. No. 66.) 



HAYS: 

Alfalfa 

Cowpea 

Oat hay 

Fodder corn 

Sorghum 

Cotton seed hulls, 
GREEN FEEDS: 

Alfalfa 

Cowpea 

Oat fodder 

Corn silage 

Sorghum 

Rape 

GRAINS: 

Wheat bran 

Cotton seed meal. 

Com 

Cowpea 

Cottonseed 






91.6 

89-3 

9I.I 

57.8 

82.04 

88.9 

28.2 
16.4 

37-8 
20.9 
82.4 
14.0 



91.8 
89.1 
85.2 
89.7 



Digestible nutrients in 
100 pounds. 



II.O 

10.8 
4-3 

2-5 

2.4 
•3 

3-9 
1.8 
1.6 

•9 
2.4 

1-5 

12.2 
37-2 
79 
183 
12.5 



■Si 



39-6 
38.6 
46.4 
34-6 
40.6 
331 

12.7 
8.7 
18.9 

"•3 

4.1 
8.1 

39-2 
16.9 
66.7 
54.2 
30.0 






1-5 
1.2 
1.2 

1-7 



i.o 

•7 

1.2 

.2 

2.7 
12.2 

4-3 
I.I 

173 



Fertilizer constituents 
in 1000 pounds. 



21.9 
19.5 



17.6 

"6.9 

7.2 
2.7 

4-9 
2.8 



4-5 

26.7 
67.9 
18.2 
33-3 
31-3 



5-1 

5-2 



5-4 

2-5 

1-3 

1.0 

1-3 



16.8 
14.7 



1-5 

28.9 

28.8 

7.0 



12.7 



8.9 

10.2 

5.6 
31 
3-8 
3-7 



3-6 

16.1 
8.7 
4.0 



11.7 



From the above table we find that five tons of alfalfa 
hay contains 1,100 pounds of protein, equal to this food 
element in 

Cotton seed meal 2.956 pounds 

Linseed meal 3j754 pounds 

Wheat bran 9,016 pounds 

Cowpea hay 10,185 pounds 

Red clover hay 16,176 pounds 

Timothy hay 39^285 pounds 

RELATIVE VALUES OF DIFFEKEXT CUTTINGS. 

The most interesting experiments comprehending tests 
of the comparative yield, composition and digestibility 
of early, medium and late cuttings of alfalfa, of the 



128 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

first, second and third crops; the relative feeding value 
of the various cuttings, and of the different crops, 
have been made at the Utah station, details of which are 
recorded in the station's bulletins Nos. 31, 44 and 61. 
These tests and investigations extended continuously 
through a period of five years, and following are the more 
important facts developed and the conclusions that may 
be legitimately drawn from them, as summarized (Bui. 
No, 61) by Profs. Luther Foster and L. A. Merrill who 
supervised the work : 

1. The largest annual yield of hay per acre is obtained 
by the method of early cutting and the lowest by the late, 
the average result standing as follows : early cutting, 
100; medium, 92; and late, 85. 

2. The early cut alfalfa contains the highest per cent 
of protein and fat, the most valuable food constituents, 
and the lowest per cent of crude fiber, the most indigest- 
ible portion. The former decrease constantly while the 
latter increases rapidly from early bloom to the full 
maturity of the plant. 

3. The proportionate amount of leaves to stems is 
greater at early bloom than at any subsequent time, and 
both leaves and stems contain a greater per cent of pro- 
tein and a less per cent of crude fiber at this time than 
at any later period in the growth of the plant. The rela- 
tive proportion of leaves to stems in the different cuttings 
is as follows : early, 42 to 58; medium, 40 to 60; and late, 
33 to 67. 

4. Alfalfa leaves as compared with stems are very 
much richer in protein, fat and nitrogen-free extract,- and 
they contain a much smaller proportion of crude fiber. 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF 129 

The per cent of the protein and fat grows constantly less, 
and that of the crude fiber greater, from the time of early 
bloom to maturity. The average composition of all cut- 
tings and crops shows the leaves to contain 150 per cent 
more protein than the stems, 300 per cent more fat, 35 
per cent more nitrogen-free extract, and 256 per cent less 
crude fiber. 

5. The more important nutrients, protein and fat, 
have the highest per cent of digestibility in the early cut- 
tings and it grows less and less with the age of the plant. 

6. In the feeding tests, the highest gains were made 
from the early cuttings and the lowest from the late, the 
results standing proportionately as follows : early cutting, 
100; medium, 85; and late, 75. 

7. The variation in the amount of the different cut- 
tings eaten per day was very slight, being the highest for 
the early cutting and the lowest for the late, but the quan- 
ity of dry matter and also of digestible matter required 
for a pound of gain was decidedly lowest for the early 
cutting and highest for the late, the relative amounts of 
dry matter standing as follows: early cutting, 100; 
medium, 131; and late, 166. 

8. The annual beef product per acre was largest from 
the early cuttings, not only in the general average but in 
each separate season's test, and that from the late cuttings 
was smallest, the proportional products standing as fol- 
lows: early cutting, 100; medium, 79^ ; and late, 69^. 

9. Taking all points of comparison into consideration, 
both separately and collectively, including everything 
that pertains to the largest yield and highest feeding 
value, the tests favor cutting alfalfa for cattle feeding 
when the first blooms appear. 



130 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

CROP COMPARISONS. 

ID. The first crop gave the largest yield in each of 
the five tests and in fourteen out of the fifteen cuttings, 
while the third crop gave the lowest for every test and in 
every cutting but one. The average acre yields for the 
five years, including all cuttings, stand in the following 
relation: first crop, 100; second, 78; and third, 39; for 
the early cuttings alone, first crop, 100; second, 83; 
and third, 66. 

11. In the average composition of all cuttings for 
three years, the nutrients of the three crops vary but 
little. The second has slightly the highest per cent of 
protein and fiber ; and the third the most fat and nitrogen- 
free extract. 

12. The third crop has the largest proportion of 
leaves to stems ; but the per cent of protein in the leaves 
is highest in the second crop ; and next highest in the first. 
The leaves of the first crop contain the most fat and of 
the second, the least. 

13. The third crop produced a higher average rate 
of gain in the feeding tests than the first or second and 
also higher than any of the separate cuttings. The 
amount eaten daily was also highest of all, but the dry 
matter and digestible matter for a pound of gain were the 
lowest. In a pound per pound comparison the gains 
stood as follows: first crop, 100; second, 81; and third, 
126; dry matter for a pound of gain, first crop, 100; sec- 
ond, 115; and third, 69. 

14. The beef product per acre, taking the average 
result of all cuttings for the five years, was very much 
the highest for the first crop and decidedly the lowest for 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF 



131 



the third, standing as follows : first crop, 100; second, 61 ; 
and third, 45. But taking the early cuttings alone they 
stand, first crop, 100; second, 80; and third, 69. 

15. Pound per pound, taken as a whole, the results 
show the highest feeding value for the third crop and the 
lowest for the second. 

16. The average annual beef product from early cut 
alfalfa was 705.61 pounds per acre; it required 9575 
pounds of timothy to produce an equal weight; 11,967 
pounds of red clover, and 10,083 pounds of shredded 
corn fodder. 

Prof. John A. Widtsoe at the Utah station (Bui. No. 
48 )made a study of the nutrients of the alfalfa crop, and 
some of the facts gathered are given in the following 
table : 



First Cutting 



Condition of growth 


Protein. 


Nitrogen 
free extract 


Crude fiber. 


Ether 
extract. 


Ash. 




Pounds 


Pounds 
607 

i>247 
2,278 

2,298 

1,776 


Pounds 
168 
618 

2,108 

2,531 
2,544 


Pounds 

40 

103 
J18 

116 

94 


Pounds 
167 
369 
431 

423 
3" 


June I. Height, i8 in. 
July 7. Full flower. . . 
Aug. 10. Flowers fal- 
len, leaves dry 

Aug. 24. Still drier. . 


697 
745 

644 
428 



Second Cutting 



July 7. Budding 

July 20. Medium bloom 
Aug. 3. Full flower. . 
Aug. 24. Leaves dry . . 


334 
519 


«57 

1,140 
1,529 
1,484 


357 
1,031 
1,316 
1,329 


52 
78 
81 
81 


197 
314 
323 
333 



Third Cutting 



Aug. 17.. 
Aug. 31.. 
Sept. 14 . 



138 


317 


J55 


17 


85 


322 


757 


^A 


33 


211 


298 


934 


818 


43 


214 



132 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

COiVIPARATIVE CROP AND FEEDING VALUES. 

The following is another table showing the average yield 
of alfalfa as compared with some of the more common 
fodder crops and hays, as found in New Jersey station 
Bulletin No. 148: 



Total Yield 

Green Forage 

per acre. 



Dry Matter 
per acre. 



Total Protein 
per acre. 



Alfalfa 

Corn (entire plant) , 

Red clover 

Barnyard millet . . . . 

Crimson clover 

Cowpeas 

Oats and peas 



Pounds. 

36,540 
24,000 
14,000 
16,000 
14,000 
16,000 
14,000 



Pounds. 
8,258 
5,040 
4,088 
4,000 
2,674 
2,624 
2,107 



Pounds. 
2,214 
408 
616 
384 
434 
384 
363 



Dry Matter 



Total Protein 



ton alfalfa hay contains 

" red clover hay contains.. . 

" oats and peas contains... 

" timothy contains 

" wheat bran contains 

" wheat middlings contains. 

" rye bran contains 

" oats contains 

" rice meal contains 

" buckwheat bran contains.. 



Pounds. 
1,809 
1,694 
1,375 
1,736 
1,762 

1,758 
1,768 
1,780 
1,796 
1,790 



Pounds. 
265 
246 

175 
118 

308 

312 
294 
236 
240 
248 



At the Colorado station (Bui. No. 26) Prof. W. W. 
Cooke compared an acre of dent (Golden Beauty) corn, 
planted May 16 and harvested September 21, with returns 
from an acre of alfalfa on an adjoining plat, three years 
seeded. The corn crop was a fair one, and including 
ears and stalks weighed 15,500 pounds, containing 35.62 
per cent or 5539 pounds of dry matter. The alfalfa 
yielded three cuttings of hay weighing respectively 4600, 
3350 and 3250 pounds, or 5.6 tons, containing 10,304 
pounds of dry matter. But, as Professor Cooke says, this 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF 



133 



is not quite a fair comparison, for a pound of dry matter 
from the corn crop is more digestible and has a higher 
feeding value than an equal amount from the alfalfa. 
The corn crop contained 3605 pounds of digestible feed- 
ing material, while the alfalfa crop contained 561 1 
pounds, or a little more than half as much again. The 
corn crop per acre in feeding value was equivalent to 
three and a half tons of alfalfa hay. 

The total digestible nutrients of the two crops are 
presented in the following table : 



TOTAL 


DIGESTIBLE 


Corn. 


Alfalfa. 


Corn. 


Alfalfa. 


Pounds. 

5.539 
405 

3.263 

1.472 

84 

315 


Pounds. 

10,304 

1,602 

4,782 

2,800 

246 

829 


Pounds. 

3.605 

296 

2,186 

1,060 

63 


Pounds. 
5,611 
1,198 

3.114 

1,198 

lOI 



Dry Matter 

Albuminoids 

Starch, sugar, etc. 

Fiber 

Fat (ether extract) 
Ash 



COMPARATIVE VALUES OF ALFALFA HAY AND OTHER 
FEEDSTUFFS FOR PROTEIN. 



Value per ton when prairie hay 

is worth per ton — 
jp2.oo Jf3-oo JP4.00 



Feedstuff. 



Alfalfa hay (average) 

Red clover hay 

Orchard grass hay 

Millet hay 

Timothy hay 

Sorghum hay 

Corn-fodder (stover) 

Oat straw 

Wheat straw 

Sugar beets 

Mangel- wurzels 

Alfalfa hay containing 12.9 per cent 

digestible protein 

Wheat bran 




1473 
14.04 



134 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

It is seen that the alfalfa yielded nearly twice as many 
pounds of dry matter as the corn, with the digestible 
nutrients far in the lead, and the protein of the alfalfa 
was three times that of the corn. 

THE BALANCED RATION. 

No feeder can learn to use alfalfa, or in fact any for- 
age or grain, in the most economical way until he under- 
stands somewhat the compounding of a balanced ration. 
All foodstuffs for either man or beast are, as already 
stated, made up of three classes of substances — namely, 
protein or proteids, carbohydrates and fats. The animal's 
digestive and assimilative organs are so constructed that it 
cannot use these three classes of substances interchange- 
ably; in other words, an animal fed wholly upon any one 
of these three would be in process of gradual starvation. 
Given in the proportions needed to best supply the vital 
organs of the body, these substances become the suste- 
nance for animal life and growth. The protein builds up 
the brain, nerves, muscles and other tissues in which the 
life force is active, and without protein there would be 
no life. 

To balance a ration for domestic animals is to so 
adjust the quantity of digestible proteids, fats and carbo- 
hydrates it contains that the animal economy may use 
each without waste. The balanced ration means an eco- 
nomical ration, allowing the digestive organs to work at 
their highest efficiency; an unbalanced ration is one in 
which one of the three classes of food substances is in 
excess, or is deficient. Fed such a ration, the animal 
retaliates upon its owner by failure to digest the excess. 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF 135 

which is worse than wasted; for the feeding oi any class 
of substances in excess adds to the labor of the digestive 
organs and reduces their efficiency. 

aiAKING A BALANCED RATION. 

In Press Bulletin No, 12, from the Kansas station, the 
following is given to illustrate somewhat how a balanced 
ration would differ from others into which consideration 
of a proper balance had not entered : 

"There are three important groups of substances in 
feeds — protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Protein includes 
all materials in feeds which contain nitrogen. It enters 
into the composition of milk, blood, muscle, hair and the 
brain and nerves ; is necessary in the formation of these, 
and no other substance can take its place. Protein is 
also used in the body in producing heat, energy and fat. 
Carbohydrates include the fiber of feeds, the sugars, 
starch, and gums, and furnish heat, energy and fat in the 
body. Carbohydrates and fat can take each other's 
places, one pound of fat being worth 2.2 pounds of carbo- 
hydrates for production of heat in the body. 

"Extended investigations have shown that to obtain the 
best results, feed should be given which will furnish these 
materials in the following proportions : 

"Dairy cow — proten, 2^ pounds; carbohydrates, 12^ 
pounds; fat, Yz pound. 

"Fattening steer — protein, 2^ to 3 pounds; carbohy- 
drates, 15 pounds; fat, 3^ to ^ pound. 

"Growing cattle — ^protein, 4 pounds; carbohydrates, 
13^ pounds; fat, 2 pounds. 

"For a young animal (cattle) gradually decrease the 
proportion of protein until at the age of two years the pro- 



136 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



portions are similar to those for the fattening steer, but 
less in quantity. A pig two or three months old needs feeds 
containing seven and one-half pounds of protein to each 
thirty pounds of carbohydrates and fat, while a year-old 
pig needs seven and one-half pounds of protein to each 
forty-eight pounds of carbohydrates and fat. Feeds con- 
taining a greater proportion of protein than called for 
by these standards can be fed, because protein can take 
the place of the other materials. Carbohydrates and fat 
cannot take the place of protein, however, and no matter 
in how large quantities they may be fed, if protein is 
lacking, the growth or gain will be less. 

"The weak point in feeding is that the average rations 
are greatly deficient in protein, and have too much carbo- 
hydrates and fat. Every feeder knows that good pastur- 
age produces rapid growth, good gains, and abundant 
milk yields. It furnishes nutriment in the proportion of 
three pounds of protein, twelve pounds of carbohydrates, 
and one-half pound of fat. The proportions in some of 
our feeds in pounds per 100 pounds of feed, are as 
follows : 



Corn 

Kafir-corn.. . 
Prairie hay. . 
Corn fodder. 
Sorghum hay 



Protein. 


Carbohy- 




drates. 


7.8 


66.7 


7.8 


57-i 


35 


41.8 


2.0 


33-2 


2.4 


40.6 



Fat. 



1.6 
2.7 
1.4 
0.6 
1.2 



"It will be seen that none of these contain a sufficient 
proportion of protein to secure best results, and all com- 
binations of these feeds will have the same defect. 



ALFALFA AS A FEED STUFF 



137 



"Some feeds have too great a proportion of protein to 
be fed alone, as shown below, the figures indicating 
pounds per 100 pounds of feed: 





Carbohy- 


Fat. 




drates. 




10.6 


37.3 


1.4 


311 


43-9 


4.8 


28.8 


328 


71 


37-0 


16.5 


12.6 


39-6 


22.3 


14.4 



Alfalfa hay 

Gluten-meal. . . . 
Linseed-oil meal 
Cottonseed-meal 
Soy-beans 



"Making a balanced ration is combining the feeds 
deficient in protein with those having an excess of it, to 
make a ration which will contain the right proportions 
for the animals fed." 

VARIATIONS IN ANAIiYSIS. 

Variations in the foregoing tables would indicate that 
the analysis is likely to vary with the product of differ- 
ent soils and different cultivations. In spite of variations 
it may be readily seen that alfalfa with its high protein 
value makes a very effective and economical balance for 
corn for heavy feeding. When it is taken into considera- 
tion that this forage so rich in protein can be raised at 
home, and that its growing is at the same time enriching 
the soil, the conclusion is easy that alfalfa hay may profit- 
ably constitute a part of all fattening operations ; it is also 
clear that the economical way to market alfalfa is through 
the farm's live stock. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Alfalfa in Beef-Making 

The cattle feeder is not much given to sentiment and 
cares less for the beauty of the purple flowers of the alfalfa 
than he does for the best method of converting those 
purple flowers and their accompanying foliage into mar- 
ketable beef. An accepted but unwritten rule of corn- 
feeding is that looo pounds of grain with ordinary forage 
will produce loo pounds of gain, under normal con- 
ditions. 

SO]VIE FEEDING TESTS. 

The Kansas station in a careful feeding test of 153 
days produced 100 pounds of gain with 718 pounds of 
grain by using alfalfa hay for roughness. This test also 
gave the following table of gain in values, from the use 
of different feeds in the same given time : 

Corn and alfalfa hay $109.74 

Corn and prairie hay 56.96 

Corn and sorghum hay 27.09 

Corn and oat straw 43-28 

Barley and alfalfa hay 57- 16 

The Utah station after a feeding test published the 
statement that to produce 705.61 pounds of beef it re- 
quired : 



ALFALFA IN BEEF-MAKING 139 

Of alfalfa hay 7,182 pounds 

Of timothy hay 9,575 " 

Of red clover hay 11,967 " 

Of shredded corn fodder. .10,083 " 

At this station steers made a most rapid gain when fed 
upon early cut alfalfa hay, either with or without an 
accompanying ration of grain. "By early cut hay was 
meant hay cut just before bloom. The gain upon this 
early cut alfalfa hay was one-third more than that upon 
hay cut when in full bloom or later." 

At the Nebraska station Prof. Howard R. Smith (Buls. 
85 and 90) fed 50 yearling and 50 two-year-old grade 
steers in lots of ten for six months, each lot of each fifty 
having rations different from the others, and the table 
herewith shows the average cost per pound of gain made 
by each steer of each lot of yearlings : 

Lot fed corn and prairie hay 8.27 cents 

" " corn 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and prairie hay.. 6. 82 " 
" " corn go %, oil meal 10 %, and corn stover.. 6.09 " 
" " com 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and sorghum hay 7. " 
" " corn and alfalfa hay 6.04 '' 

Below is shown the cost under similar conditions with 
the two-year-olds, (the cost of the corn and oil meal fed 
them having been slightly greater than that fed the year- 
lings) : 



Lot fed corn and prairie hay 8.23 cents 

" " corn 90 %, oil meal 10%, and prairie hay.. 8.27 " 
" " com 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and corn stover.. 6.49 ■' 
'' " com 90 %, oil meal 10 %, and sorghum hay 7.87 '' 
" " corn and alfalfa hay 6.89 " 

Among the deductions from these experiments. Profes- 
sor Smith records the following, bearing upon the use of 
alfalfa: 



140 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"Alfalfa is much superior to prairie hay when the grain 
consists of corn alone. It also proved to be a cheaper 
source of protein than oil meal. The returns on the cattle 
fed alfalfa hay, were the alfalfa figured at $11.14 P^^* 
ton, would have been as great as the returns on prairie 
hay at $6 per ton, with corn as the grain ration at 39 
cents per bushel. In comparison with prairie hay at $6 
when oil meal worth $28 per ton was a part of the grain 
ration, the alfalfa returned a value of $8.28 per ton. 
(In these experiments the cost of all alfalfa hay and all 
prairie hay was figured at the one price of $6 per ton. — 
Author. ) 

"Bright, well-cured corn stover fed with an equal 
weight of alfalfa, the grain consisting of corn alone, gave 
slightly larger gains than corn and alfalfa, and proved 
the most economical ration in the experiment. The addi- 
tion of corn stover may have improved, to some extent, 
the corn and alfalfa ration by furnishing greater variety, 
and by its tendency to check scours sometimes caused by 
alfalfa. The stover fed with alfalfa returned a value of 
$4.57 per ton in comparison with alfalfa at $6 per ton 
as the sole roughness. 

"By feeding alfalfa hay, which is a protein-rich rough- 
ness, extremely palatable and readily masticated, in place 
of prairie hay with corn alone, 14 per cent less grain was 
required for each pound of gain on two-year-olds and 2^ 
per cent less on yearlings. 

"Alfalfa hay, fed once per day in connection with corn 
and well-cured cornstalks, furnished sufficient protein for 
two-year-olds to make the three foods a combination 
producing heavy and very economical gains — more eco- 
nomical than any other ration in the experiment. 



ALFALFA IN BEEF-MAKING I4I 

"Alfalfa is pronouncedly superior to prairie hay for 
beef production, and the more rapid the extension of the 
area of land devoted to the production of alfalfa, sup- 
planting the less valuable and lower yielding native hay, 
the more rapid will be the production of wealth from our 
soil." 

One authority who has made a study of such problems 
says, "steers can be fattened on one-third less corn with 
alfalfa for roughness than without." 

W. H. Jordan, director of the New York (Geneva) 
experiment station says : "Probably no species of forage 
are known that are more economical sources of high- 
class cattle food than alfalfa and corn, and if in the 
realms of stock raising corn is king, alfalfa is queen." 

FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA. 

Many feeders make the mistake of feeding ioo much 
alfalfa hay to young steers grained heavily on corn. 
Careful tests seem to prove that cattle on a heavy feed of 
corn, corn meal, Kafir-corn or Kafir-corn meal gain as 
much with 25 or 30 pounds of alfalfa hay per day as by 
having 50 pounds, the very common quantity in feeding. 
It is also reported by experienced feeders that steers over 
three years old may be fattened on alfalfa with a mod- 
erate feed of corn, while for younger steers the heavy 
feed should be corn with 15 to 25 pounds of alfalfa hay 
per day. 

A Colorado feeder put a lot of steers nearly four years 
old on a daily ration of ten pounds of corn chop and 
fifteen pounds of alfalfa hay for 100 days. The gain 
was surprising and the steers weighed on the Denver 
market about 1430 pounds per head. 



142 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

A feeder in Osborne county, Kansas, reported to the 
author the following: "Began feeding 22 two-year-old 
steers on February 3rd, averaging 941 pounds in weight. 
Gave them no feed but alfalfa hay until March 4th, From 
March 4th until May ist fed all the alfalfa they wanted 
and 243 bushels of corn chop, when they weighed out 
at an average gain of 259 pounds each in 86 days, or 
three pounds per day on a feed of 11 bushels of corn chop 
and plenty of alfalfa hay per steer." 

Western feeders generally claim to be able to put fat 
cattle on the market from 20 to 30 per cent cheaper with 
alfalfa as the balance than on corn alone, or with corn 
and bran or any purchased protein foods. The cheapest 
beef-making in the West is the raising of calves on 
alfalfa, and at 20 to 24 months fattening them by a heavy 
feeding of corn and alfalfa hay for 100 days. Cattle car- 
ried to 1000 or 1200 pounds on alfalfa, and then finished 
by strong feeding on corn with alfalfa hay for fifty to 
sixty days, make beef of a choice quality at a low cost. 



CHAPTER XIL 

Alfalfa and the Dairy 

MAKING A 3IARGIX. 

The most enthusiastic advocates of alfalfa are dairy- 
men. The market price of milk is quite well fixed and 
the price of butterfat at the creameries remains, in the 
different seasons, pretty much the same year by year. 
Hence, the problem of increasing his financial returns 
must depend upon the dairyman's being able to increase 
the volume of his product or to decrease the cost, or both. 
If he is selling butterfat at a profit of five cents and he 
cannot force the price any higher, it is the sensible thing 
to decrease the cost per pound and thereby enlarge his 
profit. 

The dairyman who buys all his feed has but little mar- 
gin. To raise enough clover calls for considerable land. 
Alfalfa will yield a large bulk of excellent feed from a 
few acres of well treated land. For profit he must raise 
more feedstuff and buy less. The Kansas station reported 
that with common scrub cows fed on alfalfa hay and 
Kafir corn meal it was possible to produce butterfat at a 
cost of seven cents a pound, 

some: milking test valuations. 

The New Jersey station as a result of a very pains- 
taking milking test reported: (i) In a ration where 



144 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

alfalfa hay was tested against wheat bran and dried 
brewers' grain the saving in the cost of milk was 12.7 
cents per hundred, and 2.3 cents per pound of butter when 
alfalfa hay was used. This saving means a great deal 
when it is considered that the alfalfa is raised and not 
purchased. (2) That the milk value of one acre of 
alfalfa was $74. 

A Kansas dairyman is reported to have kept ten cows 
through one summer on the alfalfa cut daily from a patch 
containing four square rods less than two acres. 

Some dairymen believe that there is a great saving in 
the alfalfa hay by cutting it into two-inch lengths, and 
feeding it dry. It is also believed that it will always be 
a matter of economy to feed with the alfalfa, green or as 
hay, a small ration of a carbonaceous food, even corn 
stover serving such a purpose. 

Former Governor Hoard, editor of Hoard's Dairyman, 
says that with alfalfa hay at $10 and bran at $20 per ton 
there is a saving, by using alfalfa, of $2.80 for every 100 
pounds of butter made, and a saving of 19.8 cents for 
every 100 pounds of milk. 

In a section of New York where alfalfa has been quite 
generally introduced, dairymen claim an increase in their 
profits of 15 to 30 per cent by its use, besides the enrich- 
ment of their farms for other crops. 

Prof. D. H. Otis, telling of experiments with the dairy 
herd at the Kansas agricultural college, states that, "it is 
usually recommended to feed a cow all the rough feed 
she will eat, and then balance up the ration with grain. 
The experience at the college indicates that much rough 
feed is wasted in careless feeding. The cow will eat the 



ALFALFA AND THE DAIRY 



145 



best first, and, if given too much, will pick the most 
desirable morsels, leaving what might be called passably 
good, which too frequently is treated as waste and 
thrown under foot. No more hay should be given an 
animal than it will eat up clean. This refers to first-class 
quality, however, as a cow could not be expected to eat 
poor hay clean. 

"In feeding the rough feeds, the following table has 
been used by the college as a guide : 



Roughness. — Value per ton when alfalfa is worth $1.00 per ton. 



Feed. 



Total 


Protein 


nutrients. 


nutrients. 


Ji.oo 


1^1.00 




32 


.19 




97 


1.02 




40 
64 


.24 

.42 




59 


.41 




33 

60 


•15 
•45 




51 

70 


•33 

.64 




43 
67 


•23 

1.02 

.56 




47 
25 


.27 
.08 



Feed. 



Total 
nutrients. 



Protein 
nutrients. 



Dry Roughness 

Alfalfa 

Corn-fodder. .. . 

Cowpeas 

Fodder corn. .. . 

Milet 

Oat hay 

Oat straw 

Orchard-grass . , 

Prairie hay 

Red clover 

Sorghum 

Soy-beans 

Mixed hay 

Timothy 

Wheat straw . . , 



Green Roughness 

Alfalfa 

Corn silage 

Fodder corn 

Pasture grasses . . . 
Sorghum fodder. . 
Soy-beans 

Roots and Tubers 

Mangels 

Sugar-beets 

Turnips 



>o-34 
•13 



;po.37 



.14 


• .09 


•23 


.24 


.12 


.06 


.28 


•30 


.10 


.09 


.14 


.10 


.11 


.08 



"Students working with the dairy herd were anxious 
to have the cows make the best possible yields, and were 
tempted to give all the good alfalfa hay the cows would 
eat. When we discovered the alfalfa hay going too rap- 
idly we looked for the cause and found that the dairy 
cows had consumed an average of forty-three pounds per 
head daily, besides fifteen pounds of Kafir-corn fodder. 
The quantity of alfalfa was reduced to thirty-three pounds 



146 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

and the Kafir-corn fodder to three and one-half pounds 
daily per cow, and we found that the daily yield of milk 
was slightly increased. The quality of the hay was the 
same in both instances. In the latter case it was eaten up 
clean, while in the former considerable was hauled away 
and fed to dry cows. Later records show a still greater 
reduction in the allowance of alfalfa without decreasing 
the flow of milk. This experience shows some of the 
leaks that may take place in feeding roughness, especially 
when those feeds are appetizing, like alfalfa and red 
clover. 

"For ease of calculation the roughness is figured on 
the basis of alfalfa hay selling for one dollar per ton. 
When alfalfa is worth six dollars per ton the other rough 
feeds are worth six times the amount indicated in the 
table; when alfalfa is worth eight dollars per ton the 
other feeds are worth eight times as much, and so on. 
Usually we find that we can give practically all the rough 
feed that the cows can eat, although, as indicated above, 
with a good quality of alfalfa or clover hay more may be 
eaten than will be consumed at a profit At this writing 
alfalfa hay is selling in Manhattan at seven dollars per 
ton. This would make the feeding values of the other 
rough feeds worth seven times the amount indicated in 
the table. Red clover, for instance, would be worth seven 
times seventy cents or $4.90 per ton ; prairie hay would be 
worth $3.57 per ton; and millet hay would be worth 
$4.48 per ton. If the problem was to select the most eco- 
nomical roughness, we would select alfalfa at seven dol- 
lars per ton, in preference to red clover at six dollars 
per ton, or prairie hay at four dollars per ton, or millet 



ALFALFA AND THE DAIRY 147 

at five dollars per ton. Knowing the cost of these differ- 
ent rough feeds and having this table before him, a feeder 
can tell v^hich is the most economical feed to use. It will 
be noticed that the table is divided into two parts, the 
first part giving the value of the total nutrients, and the 
second one the value of the protein nutrients. It fre- 
quently happens that we have plenty of carbohydrates 
and fat, but that we are lacking in protein. In this case 
we would consult the 'protein nutrients' column in order 
to determine what feed to buy in order to furnish the 
protein most economically. If it be carbohydrates and 
fat as well as protein that is required, as was the condi- 
tion in the dry year of 1901, then we should take the 
'total nutrients' column. When it is possible to get a 
rough feed containing a large amount of protein, we find 
that in feeding a liberal allowance of roughness the grain 
can be reduced. Hence, the importance of providing 
roughness rich in protein, like alfalfa." 

SELLING FARM PRODUCTS THROUGH THE COW. 

No other phase of agriculture presents more advan- 
tages than dairying — disposing of the products of the 
farm as milk and butterfat. When the latter may be sold 
to creamery stations and the skim milk fed to calves and 
pigs along with alfalfa the profits are greater than from 
almost any other form of agriculture. No other business 
tends so rapidly to build up the fertility of the farm, and, 
when judiciously conducted, no other branch of farming 
yields more satisfactory financial returns. Raising and 
feeding alfalfa will add from 15 to 30 per cent to the 
profits of dairying over the use of any other feedstuff 



148 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

that may be raised or bought. The profit problem for 
the dairyman is constantly to find the feed that will 
decrease the cost of his production. 

The diagram below, prepared by the editor of the 
Nebraska Farmer, is to "represent the digestible protein 
or milk property contained in different kinds of rough- 
ness. Points represent the decimals of a pound, and the 
bars are an exact representation of the superiority of one 
kind of food over another for the production of milk. 
Each bar represents 10 pounds of roughness. The 
approximate yield is also given per acre :" 



Approximate Yi 
Corn Stover 


ield Per Ac 

6 to 8 

10 to 14 

2 

2 

^ 3 


re. 

Tons 
Tons 
Tom 
Tons 
Tons 
Tons 
Tons 


17 
25 
28 
30 
32 
43 
48 
68 
84 


Points 


Drilled Com Fodder 


Points 


Timothy Hay 


Points 


Prairie Hay 


Points 


Millet Hay 


Points 


Oat Hay 


3 to 4 


Points 


Red Top 


2 


Points 


Red Clover 


2 


Tons 


Points 


Alsike 


3 


Tons 


Points 


Alfalfa 


6 to 8 


Tons 


no 


Points 



A. S. Hitchcock cites as an illustration of feeding alfal- 
fa alone, the case of the dairy farms in the vicinity of 
Moneta, Cal., where the stock are ordinarily fed no other 
ration than alfalfa. As alfalfa is not a balanced ration, a 
number of local dairymen tried to replace a part of the 
alfalfa by sorghum, thus giving a more nearly balanced 
ration. The cows, however, did not give as much milk 
upon this combination as upon pure alfalfa. "This result 



ALFALFA AND THE DAIRY 1 49 

may be assigned to the fact that the cattle were unable to 
consume a sufficient quantity of the mixture to produce 
the same results as the alfalfa alone. These dairymen 
find they can secure a larger milk yield by feeding a little 
grain ; but the increased yield does not pay for the grain, 
which is high priced in this locality." 

AN ESSENTIAIi IN »nLK PRODUCTION. 

Oscar Erf, dairy husbandman at the Kansas experiment 
station, writing for this volume, says : "Alfalfa is quite 
indispensable in successful dairy operations, being one of 
the cheapest sources of protein, that most essential com- 
pound in feeds for milk production. The Kansas station 
found that for milk i}i pounds of well-leaved alfalfa hay, 
containing a high per cent of protein, is equal in feeding 
value to a pound of bran. In case the alfalfa is of a 
stemmy nature it requires i }i pounds to equal the feeding 
value of a pound of bran. Alfalfa hay is worth from $4 
to $7 per ton on the farm, while bran costs from $14 to 
$20 per ton, hence it is far more economical to feed the 
alfalfa hay. 

"Like other hays alfalfa varies in composition accord- 
ing to the time of cutting, the soil on which it grows, and 
its per cent of leaves. It has been found that three-fourths 
of a pound of alfalfa hay is equal in feeding value to a 
pound of clover hay of equal brightness and quality. A 
good stand of clover yields about 2}^ tons per acre per 
year, while a good stand of alfalfa yields about 5 tons 
per acre per year. Hence, on an acre of land, 1 100 pounds 
of protein can be produced by raising alfalfa while only 
340 pounds can be produced by growing clover, the pro- 



150 THE BOOK OP ALFALFA 

tein in the alfalfa and that in the clover being equally 
digestible. This comparison is chosen from the fact that 
clover is the next cheaper source of protein found on the 
farm. 

"At the Kansas station the following experiment was 
conducted, and illustrates the low cost of a ration includ- 
ing alfalfa hay for roughness as compared with a ration 
in which prairie hay was used. The experiment was with 
ten cows. The first ration consisted of 21 pounds of 
alfalfa hay and 9 pounds of corn. While the cows were 
on this ration each produced an average 26 pounds of 
milk per day, the milk containing 3,9 per cent of butterfat. 
To formulate a ration from prairie hay and bran which 
had the same amount of nutrients, we were obliged 
to feed 19 pounds of bran and 15 of hay. Fed on this 
each cow produced only 24 pounds of milk per day, con- 
taining 4 per cent of butterfat. The 21 pounds of alfalfa 
hay at $7 per ton, which is rather a high estimate, and 9 
pounds of corn at 70 cents per hundred weight cost 13.6 
cents per day. At this rate it cost 31-3 cents to produce 
a gallon of milk, or approximately 13.5 cents for a pound 
of butterfat. Estimating bran at $16 per ton and prairie 
hay at $5 per ton, the cost of the second ration was 18.95 
cents per day, and milk approximately 7 cents per gallon, 
making the butterfat worth 19.7 cents per pound. 

"The following two tables show the difference in cost 
between a ration in which alfalfa is used for part of the 
roughness and one which contains no alfalfa but has the 
same amount of digestible nutrients : 



ALFALFA AND THE DAIRY I5I 

Alfalfa hay. . 19 lbs at $ 7.00 per ton. . .$.066 

Corn 7 lbs at .70 per cwt ... .049 

Bran 25^ lbs at 18.00 per ton. . . .0225 



$•1375 



Sorghum hay. . 10 lbs at $ 3.50 per ton. $.0175 
Prairie hay. ... 12 lbs at 6.00 per ton. .036 
Ground wheat.. 8 lbs at .8operbu. .1066 
Cottonseed meal 3 lbs at 24.00 per ton . . 036 



$.1961 



"As shown by the table a gain of 5.86 cents is made by 
feeding the alfalfa. Being a proteinaceous feed it can to 
a great extent be substituted for cottonseed meal, linseed 
meal or gluten meal, and will entirely substitute other 
leguminous hays and forages, such as soy bean hay, cow- 
pea hay, clover hay and vetch hay, any one of which is 
more expensive, for nutrients contained, than alfalfa hay. 

"The Kansas station has found it practicable, from 
results obtained in the past three years, to ensile green 
alfalfa for dairy cows. This is superior to dry alfalfa, 
owing to its succulent nature. In the eastern part of the 
United States ensiling alfalfa has another advantage in 
that all cuttings can be harvested in perfect condition. As 
a rule the first cutting throughout this whole territory is 
liable to be damaged more or less by rains. By putting 
the green alfalfa into a well constructed silo this loss can 
be obviated and the full value retained. For example : a 
man has 40 acres of alfalfa, from which he harvests for 
the first crop i^ tons per acre. Estimating the price of 
good, clean alfalfa hay at $7 a ton, this would be worth 



152 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

$420. Should the hay be damaged by rain its value would 
be greatly reduced and, as has been the case for many 
years, such damaged hay could be purchased for $2 or less 
per ton. Accordingly this damaged hay would be worth 
$120. The loss caused by rain would therefore be $300. 
Put into the silo this first cutting would be equal in value 
to the best bright hay. 

"The cost of a 100-ton silo is $250, hence the owner 
could not only save the first cutting, but money besides. 
Furthermore, it is not infrequently the case that alfalfa of 
the first cutting is of a stemmy nature, and it has been 
estimated that fully 28 per cent of such hay is wasted 
when fed to cows, as they do not eat the coarse stems. 
This loss can be entirely eliminated by the siloing, for 
cows will readily eat the stems as silage. 

"The value of alfalfa silage in influencing the milk flow 
was indicated when a ration was fed to sixteen cows, in 
which 12 pounds of alfalfa hay, 20 pounds of corn silage, 
5 pounds of bran and 4 pounds of corn meal were used ; 
this ration was afterward changed by substituting alfalfa 
silage for the corn silage, and at the same time the bran 
was reduced to i pound, and the corn increased i pound. 
By these changes the milk was increased 10 per cent. 

"With butterfat worth 23 cents a pound the value of a 
ton of alfalfa silage has been estimated at approximately 
$8. This silage solves the problem of feeding cows eco- 
nomically in summer, as well as in winter, under a system 
of intensive farming." 

W. J. Fraser, chief in dairy husbandry at the Univer- 
sity of Illinois, says: "Corn silage and alfalfa, two of 
the best feeds for dairy cows, make practically a complete 



ALFALFA AND THE DAIRY 153 

or balanced ration in themselves. Several years' experi- 
ence in supplying the university dairy herd with various 
kinds of soiling crops in midsummer has led to this high 
recommendation of corn silage and alfalfa." 

Alfalfa hay has much the same laxative effect as June 
pasture. An Elgin, 111,, dairyman, vi^ith fifty cows, says : 
"Every month I feed alfalfa in winter gives me a month 
in which I have practically pasture conditions. The cows 
show the pasture-effect in the glossy condition of their 
hair and in the yield of milk, and have never before looked 
quite so well." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Alfalfa for Swine 

hogswhjL eat hay. 

In a preceding chapter it was stated that alfalfa is a 
valuable pasture or soiling crop for pigs. It is equally 
true that they will actually eat alfalfa hay. A hog is not 
usually ranked as a hay-eating animal but an exception 
must be made as to his eating alfalfa hay. As a pasture 
or soiling crop for sows and young pigs, alfalfa proves a 
wonderfully helpful ration for milk-making in the sow 
and for growth in the pigs. Experiments have shown 
that pigs make better growth when the dam is fed consid- 
erable alfalfa than those from sows fed the best of com- 
mercial rations, but with no alfalfa. Given two sets of 
pigs, one fed clover, rape and soaked corn and the other 
fed only alfalfa forage, the latter seemed to grow the 
more rapidly. For brood sows it is a most valuable food, 
either as hay, a soiling crop, or as pasture. The litters of 
such sows are generally large and vigorous and the dams 
have a strong flow or nutritious milk. Alfalfa meal in 
slop may be used with profit where the hay is not to be 
obtained. It is also claimed that sows fed on alfalfa dur- 
ing pregnancy will not devour their young, its mineral 
elements seeming to satisfy the appetite of the sow, while 
contributing to the foetal development of the pigs. 



C/3 

C3* 



W 



^ 



^ crc) 





4Ti:~, 



J 



__y 



Five-year-old Alfalfa 

at the time of its tliird cutting, September 8, and its root develop- 
ment. Grown at Manhattan, Kansas, on upland prairie 
having a heavy clay subsoil. 



ALFALFA FOR SWINE I55 

On the farm of Governor Hoard, in Wisconsin, all the 
brood sows have for several years been wintered on alfalfa 
hay of the third cutting, and their drink, without any 
grain until the last two weeks of gestation. Mr. Hoard 
says the object was to give the sows a food that should 
keep them in a non-feverish state and furnish protein 
sufficient to build the bodies of the forthcoming pigs. 
(Their "drink" was the skim milk from his dairy.) 

"It was a matter of experiment at first, our only guide 
being what knowledge and reason we could exercise from 
what we knew, or thought we knew, of the philosophy of 
gestation. The experiment proved to be a success from 
the first. The sows went through their work in fine con- 
dition, giving milk abundantly. The pigs came with splen- 
did vitality, thus reducing our losses from early death 
fully 30 per cent over what they had previously been. 
The hay is fed dry and is thrown into the pen on the feed- 
ing floor without any cutting or chaffing whatever. We 
have sometimes thought we would try the experiment of 
cutting it into half-inch lengths and moistening it. Pos- 
sibly it would take less hay in this way. The sows keep 
in good flesh, fully as much so as we like." 

A Finney county, Kansas, farmer reports having pas- 
tured 30 pigs on one acre of alfalfa from May ist to 
September ist, when they weighed 100 pounds each and 
were in fine condition for fattening. Another Kansas 
farmer reports keeping 100 pigs from about the middle 
of April to September on five acres of alfalfa pasture. A 
little grain during the last two months would have gained 
him many pounds of pork. Many alfalfa raising pig- 



156 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

growers insist that their pigs can be maintained from 
May to October on alfalfa for one-half what it would 
cost for almost any other feed. 

The Utah station found that young shoats gained one- 
third of a pound a day on alfalfa pasture without grain. 
But the station found also that the gain was not so great 
in older hogs. A Wisconsin dairyman reported that he 
kept nine sows all winter and spring on alfalfa hay and 
skim milk, without any grain, and raised from them 75 
pigs, all healthy and vigorous. 

The Colorado station considers that a ration of three- 
fourths corn and one-fourth alfalfa hay is the best for 
fattening hogs for market, but for young hogs not ready 
for fattening the proportions should be reversed. The 
station does not recommend grinding alfalfa hay for 
hogs, probably on the theory that the hog's time is not 
worth much at best. 

A VALUABLE FEEDING TEST. 

The Kansas station in the fall of 1898 made a series of 
experiments of interest to feeders everywhere. The test 
was to determine the value of alfalfa hay fed to fattening 
hogs that were receiving all the grain they would eat. 
The results are related here in the language of the 
bulletin : 

"The hogs fed in this experiment were bought of farm- 
ers, and averaged in weight 125 pounds each. They were 
placed in lots of ten each, in large pens, having for shelter 
some sheds open to the south. The alfalfa hay used was 
of the best quality, carefully cured. Blackhulled White 
Kafir-corn was the grain used, the hogs being fed all they 



ALFALFA FOR SWINE 157 

would eat without waste. The hay was fed dry in fork- 
fuls in a large flat trough. The pigs were given more 
than they could eat, and they picked out the leaves and 
finer stems, rejecting the coarser stems. One lot of hogs 
was fed Kafir-corn meal dry and alfalfa hay; one lot 
whole Kafir-corn dry; one lot Kafir-corn meal dry, and 
one lot Kafir-corn meal wet. 

"The experiment began on November 24 and lasted 
nine weeks. By that time the alfalfa-fed hogs became 
well fattened, and were marketed. We estimated that it 
would require four to five weeks additional feeding, with 
ordinary weather, to get the hogs that were fed grain 
alone into good marketable condition. 

"The gains in nine weeks from the different methods of 
feeding were as follows : 

Gains per hog 
in pounds. 

Kafir-corn meal dry and alfalfa hay. .90.9 

Kafir-corn whole 59.4 

Kafir-corn meal fed dry 52.4 

Kafir-corn meal fed wet 63.3 

"The gain from feeding alfalfa hay with Kafir-corn 
meal fed dry, over the meal alone fed dry, is more than 
73 per cent. 

"The gains per bushel of feed were as follows: 

Pounds 

Kafir-corn meal dry and 7.83 pounds 

alfalfa hay 10.88 

Kafir-corn whole 8.56 

Kafir-corn meal fed dry 7.48 

Kafir-corn meal fed wet 8.09 



158 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"Ten hogs in nine weeks were fed 656 pounds of 
alfalfa hay; and as shown above, for each 7.83 pounds of 
alfalfa hay fed with the dry Kafir-corn meal, the hogs 
gained 3.4 pounds over those having dry Kafir-corn meal 
alone — a gain of 868 pounds of pork per ton of alfalfa 
hay. These results are not due to the feeding value of 
the alfalfa alone, but also to its influence in aiding the 
hogs to better digest the Kafir-corn. The alfalfa hay also 
gave a variety to the ration, making it more appetizing 
and inducing the hogs to eat more grain. The ten hogs 
having grain alone at 3885 pounds of dry Kafir-corn 
meal, while the ten hogs having hay and grain ate 4679 
pounds of the Kafir-corn meal and 656 pounds of alfalfa 
hay. The hay-fed hogs ate more grain and gained more 
for each bushel eaten. 

"In a former experiment pigs were pastured through 
the summer on alfalfa with a light feeding of corn. After 
deducting the probable gain from the corn, the gain per 
acre from the alfalfa pasture was 776 pounds of pork. 

"These facts indicate that to produce pork most cheaply 
the Kansas farmer must have alfalfa pasture in summer 
and alfalfa hay in winter." 

The Kansas station also found in another test that one 
acre of alfalfa produced pork worth $20.30, while one 
acre of rape produced pork worth $10.05. 

The Iowa station director estimated that one acre of 
alfalfa pastured was worth at least three acres of blue 
grass for pigs. It is claimed by Kansas farmers that an 
average acre of alfalfa will pasture 15 pigs, while some 
report having pastured 20 or more pigs per acre. Those 



ALFALFA FOR SWINE 159 

who have used alfalfa as a soiling crop for pigs admit, 
however, that one acre so utilized is equal to two if not 
three used as pasture. 

It is argued by feeders that as many hogs may profit- 
ably be allowed with cattle that are being fattened on 
corn and alfalfa as when fed corn alone, as the feeders 
believe in cleaning out the feed-racks every few days and 
giving the left-over stems to the hogs. If necessary, a 
little corn is added to the hog ration. 

A NEBRASKA TEST. 

The Nebraska experiment station, from a hog-feeding 
test made in 1903 reported the following: 

''With the alfalfa hay worth $7 per ton, the leaves, 
containing 40 per cent more protein, would be worth 
approximately $10 per ton. The shorts cost $12.50 per 
ton delivered. The dairy department charged 15 cents 
per hundred for the skim milk used. Corn was delivered 
to the barns at 30 cents per bushel. Adding the usual 
rate of 6 cents per hundred for grinding, the corn meal 
cost $12 per ton. At these prices, each hundred pounds 
of gain in the several lots cost as follows : 

Lot I, corn alone $4.48 

Lot 2, corn and skim milk 3.97 

Lot 3, corn and shorts 3.53 

Lot 4, corn and alfalfa 3.40 

"This experiment shows that at the market prices 
quoted and the proportions used in the experiment, skim 
milk will make corn bring four cents more per bushel, 
wheat shorts eight cents more, and alfalfa leaves nine cents 



l60 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

more. Assuming that only five per cent of the 252,520,- 
173 bushels of corn produced in Nebraska this year is 
being fed to hogs as a single food, these figures would 
go to show that $1,000,000 more wealth would be added 
to the state if wheat shorts or alfalfa were substituted for 
one-fifth of the corn fed." 

CUT ALFALFA EARLY FOR HOGS. 

It is especially important that alfalfa intended to be 
fed to hogs should be cut early. An experiment at the 
Kansas station showed that a ton of early cut and well- 
cured alfalfa, fed with grain, produced 868 pounds of 
pork while a ton late cut and poorly cured, fed with grain, 
produced only 333 pounds. For fattening hogs it is well 
to feed about one ton of well-cured alfalfa hay with each 
250 bushels of grain. 

Farmer's Bulletin No. 215 of the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture declares that alfalfa is an ideal pas- 
ture plant for hogs. "There is no danger from bloat and 
with a limited number of hogs there is practically no 
injury to the alfalfa field. Vigorous alfalfa will support 
15 to 25 head of pigs per acre. It is best to limit the 
number of pigs to that which will be insufficient to keep 
down an alfalfa field. Cuttings of hay may then be made 
at intervals and the growth thus rejuvenated. On the 
average pigs weighing 30 to 60 pounds in the spring will 
make a gain of about 100 pounds each during the season. 
Although pigs may be grown and fattened upon alfalfa 
alone, it is best to combine the alfalfa with some kind of 
a grain ration. Alfalfa by itself is too rich in protein to 
give a balanced ration. Where pigs are pastured upon 



ALFALFA FOR SWINE l6l 

alfalfa alone they may be prepared for the market by 
feeding for a few weeks upon corn. It is still better, 
however, to feed a third to a half of a ration of corn or 
other grain during the time of pasturing." 

The great mistake made by too many who attempt to 
pasture swine on alfalfa is in overstocking. There is a 
tendency to keep within a small pasture more stock than 
it can comfortably support, with the result that the stand 
is gnawed, trampled and rooted out, while the animals 
fail to prosper as they would under more rational treat- 
ment. 

One of the most extensive and successful swine raisers 
in Kansas tells the author this: "Twenty-five years of 
pasturing hogs of all ages on alfalfa has proven conclu- 
sively to me that with a fourth to a half grain ration, 
while they are on such pasture, will produce in them a 
greater growth per day than when in dry lots on full 
feeds of corn. Hogs will maintain a reasonable growth, 
but not fatten much, on alfalfa pasture alone; I believe 
it profitable to feed them some grain while running 
on green alfalfa. If it is desired to full-feed hogs, 
they will make a rapid fattening growth by increasing 
the grain ration while on the pasture, and with the 
full grain ration the meat will be nearly as firm as 
those of the dry lot, where grain alone has been fed. I 
find no distinction on the market between alfalfa-fed 
swine and those purely grain-fed, and they sell price and 
price alike. The general health of the alfalfa- fed hogs is 
equal to that of those maintained on any other feed, and 
they are as prolific." 



l62 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



The Kansas station realized $11.90 per acre from rape 
pasture and $24.10 per acre from alfalfa pasture in ninety- 
eight days. These results were obtained from the follow- 
ing experiments, which were begun July 25 and con- 
cluded October 31. 

Thirty shoats, averaging fifty-two pounds in weight, 
were divided as nearly equally as possible into three Tots 
of ten each. Lot I was fed on a grain mixture of shorts 
one-half, corn meal one-fourth, and Kafir corn meal one- 
fourth, in a dry lot. The other two lots were fed the 
same grain ration, but one received rape pasture and the 
other alfalfa pasture in addition. Each lot was gi-^en 
what grain the hogs would eat up clean, and each had 
access to water and ashes. The weights of grain con- 
sumed and gains made are as follows: 



Feed. 


Grain consumed, 
in pounds. 


Total gain, in 
pounds. 


Grain consumed 

per 100 lbs. gain, 

in pounds. 




3,801 
3,244 
3,244 


1,023 
1,076 
1,078, 


371 


II. Rape pasture 


301 


III. Alfalfa pasture 


300 



The gains of the three lots are very nearly equal. The 
dry lot consumed 557 pounds (or seventy pounds for 
every 100 pounds of gain) more grain than the pasture 
lots. The lot on rape required one acre of pasture, while 
the alfalfa lot used a trifle less than one-half acre. 

The lot without pasture required 3.71 pounds of grain 
to produce one pound of gain. Assigning the same value 
to the grain fed the hogs on rape pasture, we have 877 
pounds of pork credited to the grain and 199 pounds 
credited to the rape. At six cents per pound, the 



ALFALFA FOR SWINE 1 63 

price at which hogs were selHng at the ciose of the 
experiment, this would be a credit of $11.90 per 
acre for the rape. In a similar manner, the alfalfa is 
credited with 201 pounds of pork, equal to $12,05, ^^^ 
as there was only a half-acre of alfalfa, this makes a rate 
of $24.10 per acre. 

The cost of preparing the seed bed and seeding the 
rape was $1.80 per acre. It was seeded in the feed lots, 
on soil that would otherwise have remained idle or would 
have grown up to weeds. 

The shoats on pasture enjoyed their diet and seemed 
satisfied. Those in dry lot seemed to be hankering after 
something green, and their appetites seemed unsatisfied 
without some kind of roughness. They would even nib- 
ble at straw, in a vain attempt to satisfy their craving. 

"The experiment," says Prof. D. H. Otis, "emphasizes 
the superior value of alfalfa pasture. Where alfalfa is not 
available, or where variety is wanted, or it is desired to 
utilize otherwise waste land, Dwarf Essex rape, seeded 
at the rate of six to eight pounds per acre, any time from 
early spring to late summer, will furnish an excellent diet 
that is greatly relished by the hogs." 

J. E. Woodford, of Coffey county, Kansas, April i, 
1905^ placed ten choice pure bred Poland-China brood 
sows from twelve to eighteen months old that were due 
to farrow in the latter days of June, on a five-acre field of 
alfalfa. They were given no other feed than the alfalfa 
pasturage until they had farrowed and their pigs were a 
week old. After that the sows had in addition to the 
alfalfa some bran slop until about August 20, when new 
corn was fit for feeding. He says : "The sows from the 



164 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

time they were turned on the alfalfa until the last week in 
June made a remarkable growth, besides gaining some- 
what in flesh. They did well with their pigs, reared an 
average of seven to each sow, and as sucklers they were a 
sight to see. The pigs were the most attractive bunch ever 
raised in Coffey county, as admitted by our breeding com- 
petitors. We weighed a gilt from this lot when six 
months and five days old, and her weight of two hundred 
and twenty-five pounds was not above the average of the 
whole lot. In our lifelong experience in rearing swine we 
have found nothing of the grass kind for them that in 
value approaches alfalfa." 

A plat of thrifty, well-established alfalfa suitably 
fenced and used for pasturing swine of whatever age can 
scarcely fall short of being among the most profitable 
parts of any farm upon which swine husbandry is given 
attention. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Alfalfa for Horses and Mules 

J. W. Robison, a Kansas breeder of Percherons, who 
ranks among the foremost anywhere, raises his colts to 
three years at an average weight of 1700 pounds and his 
four-year-olds at 1900 pounds, ready for the sale yard, 
on alfalfa, except such limited quantities of grain as will 
make it more nearly a properly balanced food, and inci- 
dentally expedite growth. His opinion, fortified by sixty 
years of experience, is that alfalfa as pasturage and hay 
constitutes by far the most excellent and economical 
frame- and muscle-forming food available to the live 
stock industry. His colts have alfalfa as their first green 
food, and, if foaled in winter, are taught in a few days to 
nibble the cut hay. He also says colts reared mainly on 
alfalfa have equal spirit and vigor and better dispositions 
than those given much grain. His brood mares are made 
to rely on alfalfa, as their main ration, and for three 
months before foaling it is practically, unless in midwin- 
ter, their only feed. As a result they are always in ideal 
condition, their colts are delivered easily, the mares give 
an abundance of nourishing milk, free from feverish ten- 
dencies, and the colts are robustly rugged from their 
beginning. The cost of rearing colts and horses by this 



l66 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

method, he says, is less, quaHty and rapidity of their 
growth considered, than by any other of which he has 
knowledge. 

The well-known J. E. Wing, of Ohio, says: "There 
is no one thing so good for the work horse as alfalfa. He 
needs less grain, and has more life and spirit than when 
fed upon any other hay, yet even working teams can, on 
account of its richness, be fed too much. This puts an 
undue strain upon their excretory organs to eliminate 
the unnecessary food substances from the tissues. The 
overfeeding of alfalfa hay to horses has in some localities 
caused the use of it to become unpopular, and to raise an 
outcry against it. The writer has fed no other hay to his 
horses — working teams, driving horses, mares and foals 
— for many years, and has yet to observe the. first instance 
of evil result, save that the driving horses when not used 
regularly become soft and easily sweated. ' 

GOOD FOR WORK HOI.SES. 

Until recently it was not thought in the eastern states 
that alfalfa was an especially good feed for horses. On 
the somewhat noted Watson ranch at Kearney, Nebras- 
ka, the grain supply became exhausted one summer when 
the prices were high. There was an abundance of alfalfa 
hay, and although it was in August and the horses were 
at heavy work, such as plowing and ditching, the entire 
force of eighty was kept on alfalfa hay and but little 
grain, without any injurious effect. They relished the 
hay, did the hard work every day and looked as sleek as 
if on pasture. Since that time alfalfa hay has been the 
principal ration for all of the farm's work horses, colts 
and driving stock. 



ALFALFA FOR HORSES AND MULES 1 67 

In western Kansas farm horses have been wintered on 
a daily feed of lo pounds of alfalfa hay and some corn 
stover, and thin horses fattened on alfalfa hay and a little 
corn. 

CRESCEUS EATS ALFALFA. 

Again, the prevalent notion that it is not good for driv- 
ing horses has been contradicted by hundreds of farmers 
who use it for such horses, and by hundreds in western 
towns who use it for delivery horses, dray horses, and 
light drivers, as well. In parts of California it is the only 
hay fed to horses, "Cresceus, the great race horse, is 
said to have been raised on it and it is said that he is fed 
no other hay, even while on the racing circuit." The 
same was said of Sysonby, the fleetest Thoroughbred in 
the races of 1905. Many of the city transfer companies in 
Denver, Kansas City and Omaha use alfalfa hay, claim- 
ing that it enables them to reduce their grain ration, 
while their horses seem stronger and look better than they 
did with the former feed of corn and timothy. 

TOO MUCH HAY FED. 

It is no doubt true that Americans feed their horses 
too much hay. It is common among horse owners to let 
horses stand to full mangers when not at work. In 
London the cab horses, for example, are given hay for 
but two hours a day, in the evening. At the end of two 
hours the mangers are cleared. Careful testing in 
decreasing the timothy hay ration one-half has not shown 
that the horses required any more grain than before to 
keep them in equally good condition. 



1 68 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Horses do not need a heavy ration of alfalfa hay. Fed 
with grain, probably lo or 15 pounds of it is equal to a 
manger full of other hay. As they become accustomed 
to the alfalfa it may be increased a little, and the grain 
decreased. It is a rich food and should not be used as 
freely as hays with less protein. 

Prof. L. A. Merrill of the Utah station made six tests 
of alfalfa hay in comparison with timothy for horses 
under varying conditions of work, and found that it was 
less difficult to maintain their weight with alfalfa. The 
appearance of the horses in every comparison was in 
favor of the alfalfa-fed horse, and no ill results were 
noted on their health by long-continued alfalfa feeding. 
Fourteen-hundred pound horses at hard work could be 
maintained in condition on 32.6 pounds of alfalfa hay 
per day, and at rest 20 pounds was sufficient for the 
same horses. 

The quantity of hay fed on most farms could be reduced 
at least one-half. 

With all its merits alfalfa hay is by no means a prop- 
erly balanced ration for all purposes, and those unac- 
quainted with this fact are liable to feed it, exclusively or 
otherwise, in such quantities as are both extravagant and 
harmful. D. C. Smead, a veterinarian of note, in writing 
about using the hay in too great quantities, especially in 
feeding horses, says this : 

"There is more danger in deranging the digestion of 
man or beast by an excess of protein food than by over- 
feeding on a carbonaceous food. The proteins in food 
are more easily acted upon by the digestive fluids, and 
thus more easily digested and carried into the blood, 



ALFALFA FOR HORSES AND MULES 1 69 

where an excess means work for the kidneys to carry it 
ofif. We can founder a horse more easily on wheat than 
on corn for this very reason. Alfalfa hay has a nutritive 
ration of practically i to 4. An ordinary 1000-pound 
horse, if given all it will eat of it, will eat from thirty to 
forty pounds in twenty-four hours. As the alfalfa con- 
tains about II per cent of easily digested proteins, you 
will readily see that the horse would be taking into his 
system nearly four and one-half pounds of protein. 

"About two and one-half pounds of digestible protein 
is all that an ordinary horse or cow of a thousand pounds 
weight, when at work or in milk, can utilize. In the 
alfalfa hay we have nearly twice as much as is needed. 
If it were not for some of it being physicked off, we 
would soon have an animal with overworked kidneys or 
muscular stiffness of a rheumatic nature. In case of a 
mare in foal, when fed on alfalfa and nothing else the 
chances are she would drop her colt prematurely, or if 
it went full time, the colt would be a nice, fat, little, plump 
fellow, with little vitality and with a tendency to rickets 
or bowel disease, all because the alfalfa was too narrow 
a ration. 

"Now if we fed this mare alfalfa hay once a day or 
even twice a day, in moderate quantities, say fifteen 
pounds, and gave her one feed of straw or timothy hay or 
corn fodder, which are carbonaceous foods, with a quart 
of oats a day to impart a little nerve force, we would have 
her practically on right lines. Alfalfa, good as it is, is 
not an all-sufficient food for any animal. The danger lies 
in sections where it is being thrown to the animals relish- 
ing it so well and the owner having it in such abundance 



170 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

that it will come to be considered all-sufficient, and then 
trouble is liable to follow. But fed with judgment it is 
the best of all protein foods, and will enable the farmer 
to feed wisely and well many of the unmarketable rough 
foods he raises, like straw and corn stover, the one bal- 
ancing the other." 

Here and there are horses with digestive apparatus not 
suited for the best use of alfalfa, but they are rare except- 
ions rather than the rule. 

PRODUCES RAPID GROWTH. 

One of the foremost horse breeders in America, who 
constantly maintains upwards of one hundred head of 
various ages, writes the author this : 

"In my experience of twenty-five years in pasturing 
horses on alfalfa, results have convinced me that it pro- 
duces more bone, muscle and blood in horses in less time 
than any other pasturage with which I am acquainted. 
But I believe it profitable in raising the best horses to 
also use a moderate grain ration, to stimulate rapid 
growth and early development ; my horses, however, have 
shown no ill effects from pasturing on alfalfa without 
grain, or other feed, and I have found such pasturing 
conducive to health and ^prolificacy, maturing animals 
equal for service to any reared otherwise. I have raised 
three-year-olds grown on alfalfa and a light grain ration 
to exceed a ton in weight, carrying all the good qualities 
of the breed to which they belonged. Further, I find 
using alfalfa as a horse pasture a much more economical 
method of raising horses than any other." 



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Alfalfa One Year Old Showing Effects of Inoculation 

Plants on the left inoculated with "nitro-culture," those 
on the right not inoculated. 




A Good Type of a Four-year-old Alfalfa Plant 

Trown on Kansas upland. Height, May 28, 36 inches. The crown shows the 
effect of splitting with a disk harrow. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Alfalfa and Sheep-Raising 

The day is not far distant when the free "range" will 
be practically eliminated from the stockman's assets. His 
stock must be reared on cultivated crops instead of by 
grazing on grasses that cost nothing. Pound for pound 
alfalfa is more fattening for young lambs or old sheep 
than clover. Lambs soiled on alfalfa cut daily make a 
phenomenal growth and are as a rule free from disease. 
They may be carried through the summer on a light feed- 
ing of green alfalfa and general pasture or farm grazing, 
and fattened in the fall on alfalfa hay and cowpeas or a 
little grain, at a generous profit. 

Thousands of sheep and lambs are every year brought 
from Colorado and Montana to western Kansas and 
Nebraska and fattened for market on alfalfa hay and 
grain, making for these commodities a convenient market 
at good prices. 

HOW TO PREVENT BLOATING, 

Pasturing sheep or lambs on alfalfa is dangerous, 
although there are sheep raisers who make it a main 
reliance. One man reports absolute freedom from loss for 
several years, and his method is to have his sheep pen 
adjoining the alfalfa field and early in April when the 
alfalfa is just beginning to put on its green, he arranges 



172 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

a "creep" for the lambs to go through into the field, and 
lets them stay there at pleasure. They soon wean them- 
selves; the "creep" is then closed and a safe pen in the 
alfalfa field is used for shelter from rains and protection 
from dogs. When necessary to fasten them in at night to 
guard against dogs or wolves, he cuts green alfalfa each 
evening to give them with a little grain in the morning 
before turning them back to the field. The lambs grow 
rapidly and none ever bloat. Nevertheless, most sheep 
raisers will continue to reckon alfalfa pasture too expen- 
sive when it costs so many animals for the privilege of 
its use. Safety is the exception, and not the rule. 

Owners of large flocks of sheep claim to be able to 
market lambs from alfalfa pasture, or when soiled, at 
one-half to one-third the cost of maintenance with any 
other crop. Green or cured it seems to hasten develop- 
ment and the lambs are in fine condition for fattening in 
October, or the ewes to put into the breeding pen. 

The Nebraska station in a winter experiment of 98 
days with one hundred 50-pound lambs, divided into dif- 
ferent lots and variously fed with prairie hay, alfalfa hay, 
shelled corn, wheat bran, oats and linseed meal figured at 
the prices then current, reached these results : 

1. The alfalfa- fed lambs consumed 1.34 pounds of 
alfalfa hay and one pound of grain per day as against 
.88 pound of prairie hay and .89 pound of grain con- 
sumed by the prairie hay fed lambs. 

2. The alfalfa- fed lambs made fifty-two per cent 
greater gains than the lambs fed prairie hay and the same 
grain ration. 



ALFALFA AND SHEEP-RAISING 173 

3. The Iambs fed prairie hay with corn and i6 per 
cent of oil meal made 26 per cent larger gains than the 
lots fed prairie hay with a grain ration of shelled corn, 
or shelled corn with 25 per cent of bran or oats added. 

In the twenty-fifth annual report of the Ontario agri- 
cultural college are some interesting reports on feeding 
lambs on various foods. The feeding periods were 74 
days for the first experiment and 42 for the second. 

By these tests alfalfa hay was shown to be slightly 
better for the lambs in every way than clover hay under 
practically equivalent conditions. 

The first and second cuttings of alfalfa were equal in 
value ; the third cutting was slightly better than the first. 

W. L. Carlyle, dean of the Colorado agricultural col- 
lege, declares alfalfa hay is the basis of the feeding indus- 
try in northen Colorado. ''Without alfalfa our agri- 
culture would be of very little moment. Alfalfa forms 
the basis of all our sugar-beet growing. It not only 
enriches the soil in which it grows, but prepares it for 
the growing of sugar-beets in a way that no other crop 
or system or cultivation can, and while doing this prepar- 
atory work it yields an enormous tonnage of the most 
valuable feed for fattening sheep and cattle. Usually 
lambs are given free access to the hay and are allowed 
to eat all of it that they will." 

Lamb feeding in northern Colorado has been carried 
on quite extensively for a number of years, and with such 
success that "Fort Collins lambs" are recognized in the 
eastern markets as superior to anything that is shipped 
from any other section of the country. The name "Fort 



174 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Collins sheep" has extended to all of northern Colorado, 
just as the "Greeley potato" is the term given to all 
potatoes grown in the northern part of the state. 

In recent years many thousands of old ewes have been 
fed at the various sugar factories upon beet pulp, 
alfalfa hay and corn. The old ewes thrive much 
better upon the beet pulp than the lambs or younger 
sheep. It produces a very desirable sappiness of flesh, 
and when these sheep have been on this feed with alfalfa 
hay for two or three months and are then finished with 
corn, they bring the highest price on the market. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Alfalfa and Bees 

THE BEE FERTILIZES THE AliFAIjFA. 

It has been discovered that the honey bee is of even 
more importance to the alfalfa than the alfalfa is to the 
bee. The wonderful strength and speed of the bees take 
them long distances for their food and they have recourse 
to a great variety of plants. But the peculiar construc- 
tion of the alfalfa blossom renders it unable to fertilize 
itself and its shape makes cross fertilization very difficult. 
In the marvelous "balance of good" in nature, alfalfa, 
like thousands of other plants, is aided in its lease on life 
by the insect world. It is not known just how many 
insects or birds assist this remarkable plant, but the 
honey bee is the most conspicuous, the most industrious, 
the most eager, and certainly the most useful. 

Careful observations have been made of seed pods 
grown near colonies of bees, and also of those so far from 
any bee colonies that it was safely assumed no bees had 
visited the fields producing the pods. In every case it 
was found that those from nearby fields had from 50 to 
75 per cent more seeds than the others and that they were 
larger and more perfectly developed. In Colorado and 
western Kansas, where bee culture has been greatly 
developed in recent years, it is found that the alfalfa seed 
crop in fields nearest to bee colonies is much heavier and 
of better quality than that of fields but a few miles away. 



176 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

At the Kansas experiment station a small plat of vigor- 
ous alfalfa was covered just before coming into bloom 
with mosquito netting supported on sticks. It was there- 
fore known that no bees nor other insects could come into 
contact with the blossoms. Later a careful examination 
disclosed that the pods which had formed were entirely 
without seeds. 

HOW THE FERTILIZING IS ACCOMPLISHED. 

As suggesting something of the relation of bees and 
like insects to the cross fertilization of alfalfa blossoms 
and consequent increased seed production, Prof. S. J- 
Hunter, entomologist of the University of Kansas, who 
has spent much time making critical observations of bees 
in the alfalfa fields of the Middle West, writes the follow- 
ing for this volume : 

"Every farmer is familiar with the evil effects of con- 
tinuous inbreeding among live stock. In plant life this 
same continuous fertilization of one plant by its own pol- 
len works no less injury to its race of plants. To prevent 
such inbreeding among plants nature has devised several 
means. One of these is illustrated in the alfalfa blossom. 
If the reader will tear away the purple blossom exposing 
the true organs of fertilization, it will be seen that the 
central round body, the stigma, designed to receive the 
pollen grains, is higher than the surrounding, elongated, 
pollen-bearing anthers. It will become evident, then, 
that it will be possible and most likely for the pollen to 
drop to the base of the flower without coming in contact 
with the stigma, and the flower will thus go unfertilized. 
This is as nature intended it should be, namely, that the 



ALFALFA AND BEES 177 

plant should go unfertilized if it could be fertilized only 
by the pollen of its own blossom. Provision, however, is 
made for cross fertilization, that is, fertilization from the 
pollen of another flower. 

"The color of the flower itself, its fragrance, and 
finally the sip of nectar secreted at the base of the flower, 
are all intended to attract flower-frequenting insects. 
Chief among these is the honey bee. The fragrance of 
the flower draws the insect from afar. The color of the 
flower reveals its exact location to the insect and when 
the tongue of the bee is inserted into the flower, in quest 
of the coveted nectar, the stamens and pistil spring up, 
striking the under part of the hairy-covered head. These 
hairs are barbed and readily retain the pollen, so that the 
flower both discharges its own pollen and also takes from 
the head and breast of the bee pollen previously collected 
from other flowers. Obviously, the first flower which 
the insect visits is not cross-fertilized. Practical obser- 
vations upon the relations existing between the honey 
bee and the alfalfa plant are of value in illustrating the 
effects of the bees upon alfalfa. 

"A case in point : A hundred well matured pods were 
collected upon an alfalfa field less than one-half mile 
away from a large apiary. A similar number were taken 
from another field. The two fields were as nearly identi- 
cal as possible in the matter of soil, culture, and condi- 
tions governing the vegetable growth of the alfalfa plant. 
The second field, however, was about twenty-five miles 
away from a colony of bees. No bees were observed in 
the field and since there was no timber, nor other place 
of shelter where bees might possibly live, it seemed reason- 



178 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ably safe to say that there were no wild bees in the vicin- 
ity. An examination of the seed pods from each of the 
two localities was made and the number of seeds counted. 
In the field near the apiary the average number of seeds 
in a pod was found to be 5.58. The seeds were plump and 
the pods were numerous upon a cluster. The pods them- 
selves had several spirals. In the other field, the one 
remote from a known colony of bees, the average number 
of seeds in a pod was 3.35. The seeds in at least one- 
third of the pods were small and shriveled. The pods 
were few in the cluster, short, and with but few spirals. 
The seed crop of the first field could be estimated on this 
basis at two-thirds greater than that of the second field. 

"It is a well known fact that the seed yield per acre for 
Red clover is comparatively small. Red clover belongs 
to the same family of plants as alfalfa and it, too, is 
dependent upon insects for fertilization of its flowers. 
The work, however, is restricted largely to the bumble 
bee, since but few other insects have tongues long enough 
to reach down to the nectar of the clover blossom and 
consequently do not visit the clover blossom and bring 
about proper formation of seed. So in proportion as 
the bumble bees thrive, the clover flourishes. Alfalfa, 
however, is not so limited in its number of insect assist- 
ants, since the flower itself is shorter and the nectar 
accordingly accessible to a greater number of insects." 

THE HONEY PRODUCT. 

Alfalfa raisers find it to their advantage to have a few 
stands of bees. As the original cost is slight and the bees 
provide their own food, go after the raw material for 



ALFALFA AND BEES 179 

the manufacture of honey, demand but slight attention 
and make such bountiful returns, bee culture has come to 
be a valuable "side line" for the farm. As blooms are to 
be found in alfalfa districts every day from early May to 
late October, the bees have a constant opportunity for 
service. 

Alfalfa honey is white and clear, in an extremely deli- 
cate comb, has a delicious flavor, and an aroma that is 
delightful. One authentic report from a western Kansas 
county is of a single hive that contained nearly two hun- 
dred pounds, and of another having ninety-six pounds. 
The owner of these had twenty-five acres of alfalfa which 
in one year yielded him over one hundred tons of choice 
hay besides the honey. The next year he increased his 
apiary to fifty stands. 

While the average yield per hive elsewhere varies from 
fifteen to thirty pounds, the average in the alfalfa-growing 
territory is far higher. Thus the financial returns of 
alfalfa may be greatly increased and in some instances 
doubled by having, say, two colonies of bees for each 
acre. Or, if only a part of the alfalfa raisers in a neigh- 
borhood keep bees, this ratio could be doubled or trebled 
by those who do. Unlike other trespassers on neighbors' 
fields the bees do the neighbors a distinct favor, by fer- 
tilizing their alfalfa. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Alfalfa and Poultry 

BETTER THAN MEDICINE. 

At first it might seem that too much was claimed for 
alfalfa if written of as a specially valuable adjunct in 
poultry raising. The poultry industry of the United 
States is making wxDnderful advances, and the volume of 
its returns is enormous; the figures are well-nigh incred- 
ible. One of the handicaps is disease. Poultry men are 
a unit in saying that where alfalfa in any form can be 
supplied to poultry disease is almost unknown. Fowls 
like it green, and whether allowed the run of the field or 
it is given to them daily they eat it greedily and thrive. 
Many farmers say emphatically that the hens lay more 
and larger eggs when allowed alfalfa in any form. Its 
nitrogen contributes to the albumen of the eggs and to 
the growth of the young chickens. 

MAY INFLUENCE EGG FERTILITY. 

Scientific tests of feeding alfalfa to poultry have not 
been made, but, no doubt, will be in the near future. If it 
is found that the eggs are larger when the hens are given 
alfalfa, it may also be found that the percentage of fertil- 
ity is greater. For years the complaint has been made 
by farmers and poultrymen that there are too many infer- 
tile eggs. The financial losses are great if a fourth or 



ALFALFA AND POULTRY l8l 

third of the eggs used for incubation prove infertile. It 
would seem that the same elements that contribute to 
the growth of the hatched chicken should also add to the 
vitality of the embryo, increasing the percentage of fer- 
tility and adding to the vigor of the newly hatched chick. 

AIDS IN PREPARING FOR IMARKET. 

The growth of young chickens is greatly aided by 
alfalfa. One man reports an experiment with five hun- 
dred capons, hatched early in March, that averaged in 
December nearly eight pounds and sold in the city market 
at nineteen cents per pound. They were given the run 
of a patch of alfalfa for a time and ate little other feed. 
Later they were put in the yards and fed with alfalfa cut 
into short lengths, with a little grain; still later alfalfa 
meal was added, with a little wheat. Then, finally, alfalfa 
hay was cut and steamed and added to the ration. The 
cost of maintenance and fattening must have been small 
compared with the large returns. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Alfalfa Food Preparations 

The growing appreciation of alfalfa as a stock and 
dairy food and the expense of baling and shipping it as 
hay, the loss of leaves, and the liability to heat and mold 
unless well cured, have led to the manufacture from it of 
several food preparations. These in some cases are made 
by simply grinding into a meal, and in others by mixing 
the meal with molasses, or a variety of food products, and 
assumed condiments and appetizers. 

The Colorado station in a feeding test concluded that 
the ground alfalfa was not an economical feed for fatten- 
ing pigs. With cut alfalfa hay costing $8 a ton and 
ground alfalfa $i6 a ton the cost of producing one hun- 
dred pounds of gain with the former was $2.62 and with 
the alfalfa meal $3.12. With corn and cut alfalfa hay 
fed in equal parts by weight the cost of producing one 
hundred pounds of gain was $2.72. With corn and 
alfalfa meal fed in equal parts by weight the cost was 
$3.96. It is not improbable, however, that better results 
would have been obtained if a less proportion of ground 
or cut alfalfa had been fed. It is also probable that the 
hog's grinding machinery is better adapted to his digest- 
ive apparatus than is any other. 



ALFALFA FOOD PREPARATIONS I 83 

PROFESSOR COTTRELL OX ALFAIiFA IVEEAL. 

It is worth while, however, to consider the arguments 
in favor of grinding alfalfa. Prof. H. M, Cottrell says : 

"Grinding alfalfa increases its digestibility. How 
much has not been determined. Grinding increases the 
digestibility of corn and oats as much as 14 per cent, and 
of wheat 10 per cent. It is probable that there is a greater 
gain in digestibility from grinding alfalfa, a coarse feed, 
than there is from grinding grain. 

"When alfalfa is to be fed at a distance from the place 
where grown it must be baled for shipping. When the 
bales are opened and scattered in feeding a considerable 
part of the leaves is wasted. Over 80 per cent of the 
protein in alfalfa is found in the leaves, and the loss of 
protein from leaves wasted in feeding baled hay is fre- 
quently from one-fourth to one-half of the total amount 
in the original hay. With ground alfalfa there is no 
waste in feeding either from leaf or stem. Alfalfa 
ground is in the best condition for shipping and handling 
cheaply and without waste. 

"Ground alfalfa is not only a good feed itself but when 
mixed with grain aids in the digestion of the other feeds, 
enabling the feeder to get more out of his home grown 
grain. 

"Experiments have not been made to determine the 
exact value of this diluting effect of alfalfa meal in 
increasing the feed value of heavy grains. Tests have 
shown that corn-and-cob meal has the same feeding value 
as an equal weight of clear corn meal. Practically worth- 
less ground cobs by their 'lightening up' the heavy corn 
meal add 20 per cent to the feeding value of the meal 



184 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

with which they are mixed. It is reasonable to believe 
that a rich feed like ground alfalfa has even a greater in- 
fluence when mixed with corn meal. The more intimate 
the mixture the greater the benefits from alfalfa, and for 
this reason ground alfalfa is far superior to the whole hay. 

"Grinding alfalfa hay reduces the power needed to 
digest and assimilate it. It takes power for an animal 
to chew the feed, digest it and bring about the chemical 
changes that convert it into flesh or milk. All this energy 
is taken from the actual food material in the alfalfa. 
Experiments show that a much larger amount of food 
value is used up in this way with coarse feeds than with 
concentrated fine feeds. In corn, a concentrated feed 
easily worked up in the animal's body, three-fourths of 
the protein found in the feed is digested and used by the 
animal; while in timothy hay, a coarse feed, only half 
the protein actually in the hay is digested; and in straw, 
a still coarser feed, only one-tenth. Forty-eight per cent 
of all the energy in coarse hay is used up in chewing and 
digesting it, while only twenty per cent of the energy in 
oats is used in these processes. This shows the value of 
preparing feed in such a way as to require the least effort 
on the part of the animal to use it. 

[ *Tn a well constructed mill it requires one horse-power 
ten hours to grind alfalfa sufficient for a month's ration 
for a dairy cow in full milk. This indicates what a sav- 
ing the grinding of alfalfa makes in its effective use by 
an animal. 

"Experiments show that good alfalfa hay and wheat 
bran have practically the same value in feeding for milk. 
In a test made of bran and alfalfa meal, two lots of cows 



ALFALFA FOOD PREPARATIONS 1 85 

were selected that were giving equal weights ol milk. 
One lot was fed bran, the other lot the same weight of 
alfalfa meal. For each loo pounds of milk given by the 
cows fed bran, 141 pounds were yielded by the cows fed 
alfalfa meal." 

As an example, "Alfamo" is the name of one of the 
numerous new feeds on the market, having alfalfa meal 
as its principal ingredient. After a year of experiment- 
ing with grinding and mixing various feeds it was deter- 
mined by the manufacturers that a feed made of three 
parts alfalfa meal and one part beet-sugar molasses 
would possess a very high value. The ingredients are 
mixed by a special apparatus and subjected to a process 
which retains and preserves the high nutriment of the 
feed. 

Prof. Samuel Avery of the Nebraska station made an 
analysis of "Alfamo," which showed the following com- 
position : 

Per cent 

Moisture 2.74 

Protein i5-04 

Carbohydrates 50.48 

Ash 13-87 

Crude fiber 17-85 

Professor Avery also states : "This feed was made by 
mixing molasses with alfalfa meal which contained 
16.15 P^i" cent protein. It will be noticed that the protein 
content is not greatly reduced, while a large quantity of 
nutritious matter has been added in the molasses. An 
analysis of the molasses used in this product, showed 
practically fifty per cent sugar, and it should be remem- 



l86 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

bered that the sugar in molasses is all digestible and 
ready for the animal without extra effort on the animal's 
part, which is not so in corn or other foods, strong in 
carbohydrates from which the starch must be extracted 
by the digestive apparatus." 

SOLVING THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM. 

Several mills for the manufacture of alfalfa foods have 
been and are being established, and it is reasonable to 
assume that the use of these foods will become quite gen- 
eral in cities and districts remote from the alfalfa regions. 
Whether or not the actual feeding value is appreciably 
increased, or the nutritive constituents made more thor- 
oughly available, is as yet not determined by sufficient 
tests, nor has it been determined by any station test that 
any factory food preparation is more economical than 
alfalfa hay, where the hay can be obtained well cured 
and with a reasonable proportion of its leaves. It is 
altogether probable, however, that alfalfa meal will be 
more economical in distant cities than baled hay. If these 
preparations of alfalfa prove to be satisfactory to con- 
sumers in distant markets, it will lead to the multiplication 
of mills in the alfalfa regions, thereby decreasing the 
cost of transportation and giving the grower a wider 
and probably a better market. The use of the meal or 
the food preparations is likely to prove most especially 
valuable for dairy cows and poultry. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Alfalfa for Town and City 

While the preceding chapters have dealt with almost 
every phase of alfalfa, it is thought well to emphasize the 
advantages of its more general use in cities and towns. 
In the minds of many there is an undefined impression 
that alfalfa is for farm consumption only. Often when 
first introduced into a community farmers who raise 
more than they have stock to consume, complain that it 
is difficult to sell in small towns. 

THE TOWN COW NEEDS ALFALFA. 

Milk producers who know it best concede that alfalfa 
is an invaluable feed in the dairy, closely akin to wheat 
bran in results and usually much less expensive. In the 
average small town or city there is about one cow for 
every ten or fifteen people. Therefore, in a town of one 
thousand population, there will be probably seventy-five 
to one hundred cows. If alfalfa will increase the quan- 
tity of their milk and butterfat, giving a product at a 
lower cost than the concentrated foods, it should be more 
used. But as yet it is not generally used, because it is 
not understood and appreciated. 

The best time to secure a supply is when it is being har- 
vested and can be taken directly from the field. If the 
mow is large enough for three or more tons, a ton can 
be stored from each of the different cuttings, and be 



l88 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

cured in superior condition almost regardless of the 
weather. It would be found a most economical feed for 
the family cow and, if fowls are kept, it could constitute 
one-third of their ration, adding to growth and to the 
egg supply. 

A CHEAP FEED FOR HORSES. 

The larger users of hay in the towns and cities arc 
liverymen, deliverymen and teamsters. These have been 
unacquainted with or doubtful of the utility of alfalfa 
and have never given it a fair trial, or possibly any trial 
at all. Those who have used it and thought its effects 
harmful have perhaps not understood its highly nutri- 
tious character and may have fed it in too large quan- 
tities. Having such a large protein content it should not 
be used with the same prodigality as prairie hay. For 
driving horses it should be cut when more matured than 
for other stock, or when about half in bloom, and should 
be well cured. Fed then, in reasonable rations of from 
ten to twenty pounds a day, livery horses may be kept in 
vigorous thrift with a small additional quantity of grain, 
and thus a saving be made of twenty to thirty per cent 
in cost of maintenance. In the alfalfa districts there may 
be found many liverymen who, having had experience 
with alfalfa hay, feed their horses little of anything else. 
In the last few years there has been a growing demand 
for alfalfa hay for southern towns and cities. 

The coat and general appearance of horses fed alfalfa 
are improved, as compared with, those fed timothy or 
prairie hay and the tendency to constipation and indiges- 
tion is greatly lessened. It is rarely that an alfalfa-fed 
animal of any kind is constipated. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Alfalfa in Crop Rotation 

MAINTAINING FERTILITY. 

It is a fundamental principle of the best agriculture 
that every acre should be kept constantly at its highest 
productive capacity. In one sense the farm is a great 
machine for the production of food. All prosperity must 
originate on and emanate from the farm; the farmer is 
really the only original producer. The measure of the 
world's material success must be the relative amount of 
the product of the farm. As lands decrease in fertility, 
the cost of living increases in direct proportion. As fer- 
tility decreases, land values decrease and rural popula- 
tion decreases. Already there are districts in America 
that are almost depopulated because of the barrenness of 
what was, but a short while ago, fertile land. 

The fundamental principle of maintaining fertility is 
to restore to the land annually those chemical elements 
taken from it by the crops grown. A prominent importer 
of horses relates that he was once entertained on a great 
horse farm in France, whose owner told him that much 
of the farm had been in cultivation for over eight hun- 
dred years and was, he believed, as productive now as 
ever in its history. 

Alfalfa ranks as the greatest fertilizing plant known 
to scientific agriculture. All cereal crops use large quan- 



190 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

tities of nitrogen. A field cropped for years in corn or 
wheat will come to have too little nitrogen for the pro- 
duction of a profitable crop. Alfalfa, as has already been 
stated, after the first few months of its life obtains its 
whole supply of nitrogen from the air; in fact, more than 
it really needs. As a soil improver it possesses at least 
five valuable properties : 

1. It gathers nitrogen from the air for its own main- 
tenance and a surplus that is constantly being added to 
the soil. 

2. It is a deep feeder and its roots penetrate the earth 
to extraordinary depths, drawing toward the surface and 
utilizing moisture and valuable mineral elements that 
other crops would never reach, leaving the desirable 
elements there for future crops, of whatever kinds. 

3. By capillarity, these roots and rootlets draw up 
moisture from below the surface until it modifies the 
very top soil, changing wonderfully the nature of the 
field. The analysis of a cubic foot of earth of a flourish- 
ing alfalfa field shows a marvelous change in moisture 
content since the sowing. 

4. The mere mechanical effect of the extensive root 
system can scarcely be over-estimated. As soon as ger- 
mination begins the plant starts its tiny roots downward 
on the search for moisture. Roots four feet long have 
been found on alfalfa but four months old; roots nine 
feet long have been found below alfalfa but nine months 
old. After the taproot reaches a few inches below the 
surface, it sends out smaller roots that have a lateral 
growth of but a few inches, when they too, take a down- 
ward course for moisture and for mineral elements needed 



ALFALFA IN CROP ROTATION IQI 

for the growth above. These first smaller roots decay 
and others start out from the taproot lower down. 
These decay and still others start. The decaying roots 
add humus to the soil, and the openings left by them form 
a wonderful system of channels for the penetration of 
air and water into the soil. The erstwhile compact earth 
is honeycombed and air and water penetrate the graves 
of the dead roots until, when the alfalfa field is ready to 
be used for a different crop, the soil has been wonderfully 
changed not only in its chemical elements but in its physi- 
cal character. 

5. The regular deposit of alfalfa leaves, from the 
cuttings, under the best care, has been estimated at one- 
half ton or more per acre every year. As these leaves 
contain a great percentage of protein, it can readily be 
seen that they make a heavy contribution to the soil's 
fertility. 

VALUE OF STUBBLE AND ROOTS. 

When in his system of rotation the farmer Is ready to 
plow up his alfalfa, he has another inestimable contribu- 
tion to the land's fertility in the stubble and roots. It is 
not recommended to plow under any considerable growth 
as a green manure, as the hay crop is too valuable. Its 
market value would buy more fertilizers than the same 
growth is worth for humus. After a field has stood for 
five or six years, the roots have added largely to the 
humus content. Prof. W. P. Headden of Colorado, esti- 
mated that the fertilizing value of the stubble and 6^ 
inches of roots plowed under is about $20 per acre, while 
the value of the stubble and entire root system is not less 
than $35 per acre. 



192 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

The New Jersey station estimated that the amounts of 
plant food gathered by an acre of alfalfa in two years 
were equivalent in -nitrogen to that contained in 3500 
pounds of nitrate of soda ; in phosphoric acid to that con- 
tained in 600 pounds of boneblack superphosphate, and 
in potash to the amount contained in 1200 pounds of 
muriate of potash, or equal to what would have cost $124. 

EFFECTS ON SUCCEEDING CROPS. 

The Wyoming station, at Laramie, under direction of 
Prof. B. C. Buffum (Bui. No. 44) made some tests that 
proved the market fertilizing value of alfalfa. A plot of 
ground that had been in alfalfa for five years adjoined a 
plot of the same size that had been in varied crops, wheat, 
oats, potatoes, etc. After the alfalfa sod was broken the 
two plots were prepared together and planted crosswise 
to wheat, oats and potatoes, with half of each on the 
broken sod and half on the other plot with the following 
yields and gains : 

After Alfalfa After Other Crops Money Gain 

Wheat 30 bu 18 bu $8 to $12 

Oats 78 bu . . . . 37 bu . . . . 16 

Potatoes . .81 bu. . . .52 bu. . . . 16 

Stating the results in another way, Prof. Buffum says : 
"The value of alfalfa harvested from one-half acre of 

land for five years was about $50 more than the cost of 

producing it. 

'The value of potatoes and grain from an adjoining 

half-acre for five years was about $44 more than the cost 

of producing, at local prices. 



ALFALFA IN CROP ROTATION 1 93 

"When the alfalfa half-acre was plowed and planted 
to wheat it produced $8 to $12 more value in wheat per 
acre than the land which had grown potatoes and grain 
before. 

"When the alfalfa half-acre was plowed and planted to 
oats it produced $16 worth of grain more than land 
which had grown potatoes and grain before. 

"When the alfalfa half-acre was plowed and planted 
to potatoes it gave $16 worth more of potatoes per acre 
than was obtained from land which had grown potatoes 
and grain before. 

"By growing alfalfa the increase of yields and values 
were produced with absolutely no cost for fertilizing the 
land." 

This gain, it will be noted, cost nothing In the way of 
fertilization, as the alfalfa had every year been more 
profitable than the other crops. A Marion county, Kan- 
sas, manager of large estates reports that a field of wheat 
after alfalfa averaged forty bushels per acre while an 
adjoining field of equal original fertility averaged but 
fifteen bushels. These results have been duplicated in 
innumerable instances where alfalfa fields have been 
plowed and planted to other crops. A Colorado man 
who farms 1000 acres, with 200 acres of it in alfalfa, says 
he cannot afford not to plov/ his alfalfa after he has had 
from it four years' crops ; that it is necessary to maintain 
the general farm fertility and obtain big crops of corn, 
oats and potatoes. In the potato districts of Colorado 
alfalfa is used systematically as a rotation to maintain the 
yields and quality of their potatoes, both of which are so 
famous. 



194 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

In the corn belt, which may be said to extend from the 
central meridian of Kansas to Pennsylvania, alfalfa used 
in rotation will do much to prevent the disgrace of rais- 
ing an average of but twenty or twenty-five bushels of 
corn to the acre. And so in what were once famous 
wheat belts, alfalfa will restore the crop records, if prop- 
erly used in a rotation. 

ROTATION A NECESSITY? 

Some experiment station men insist that where alfalfa 
is allowed to stand for many years it will cease to have a 
fertilizing value ; that alfalfa draws heavily on the potash 
and phosphoric acid in the soil, and will after, say, eight 
or ten years begin to deplete it of these important ele- 
ments. Therefore they insist that alfalfa should not be 
allowed to stand for over six or eight years unless it is 
given an annual top-dressing of manure. They favor 
plowing up the alfalfa after about five years and cropping 
to corn or cotton. 

Former Governor Hoard in speaking of the value of 
alfalfa as compared with that of clover in a crop rotation 
says that, "alfalfa having a much larger root development 
goes deeper down, thoroughly subsoils the ground, brings 
up phosphorus and potash from the lower strata, and 
leaves much more vegetable matter to decay and furnish 
humus. Nothing else we have ever tried equals alfalfa 
for putting the soil in good tilth." 

SPREADS THE BACTERIA OVER THE FARM. 

Men who are raising alfalfa for use in a regular rota- 
tion never leave it over six years ; many prefer five, while 



ALFALFA IN CROP ROTATION" I95 

Others make it a rule to plow up their fields every four 
years; thus the bacteria becomes fixed in the soil of the 
whole farm. Such farmers use alfalfa as they formerly 
used clover, to restore fertility needed for profitable crops 
of grain, hay and forage. 

The sod is hard to plow. It is well to do the breaking 
immediately after the season's cutting, if possible; disk 
and harrow it several times and sow to rye for winter 
pasture, and plant to corn or cotton or potatoes in the 
spring. The winter's freezing will help to put it in fine 
tilth. If it is desired to follow with wheat (not always 
advisable, however, on account of causing a too rank 
growth), the sod may be plowed after the year's second 
mowing, disked and sowed to rye to prevent the soil from 
leaching. 

Breaking up a well set alfalfa field is no trifling matter. 
It may be done with three heavy horses, but it is hard 
work for them, and they will not be able to break more 
than one acre a day. An authority says the best plan is to 
use five heavy horses — three in the lead and two on the 
end of the beam. They can go right along and plow two 
acres a day. Alfalfa roots are very tough and strong when 
the plants have attained full growth, and they give a jerky 
motion to the plow, which is severe on horses' shoulders. 
A cast steel plow is the best to use and if it is tempered 
right a file can just cut it. It can be hammered out thin 
at the blacksmith's shop when it becomes too thick to file 
easily. "The reason for filing, rather than using the 
hard, thin edge as in other plowing is that the edge needs 
to be rough as well as thin, or the roots will slip along 
the sloping edge of the share and not be cut." It is 



196 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

important that the furrow turned shall not be wider than 
the plowshare will all the time cut clean, as any main 
roots that are left uncut will send up a more vigorous 
growth of stems than before, which, in another cultivated 
crop will be the same as weeds. 




Alfalfa Plant and Roots Showing Bacteria Nodules 



CHAPTER XXL 

Nitro-Ctilttire 

AN OLD-NEW THEORY. 

The inoculation of soil, like many other lately exploited 
theories, has no doubt been known for hundreds of years. 
There are evidences that it was practiced in England at 
least a century ago, and it is thought to be an old custom 
among the Chinese. Some space was given to "soil inoc- 
ulation" in a preceding chapter, attention there being 
devoted to the simple methods of infecting soil with 
bacteria. 

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. 

Some twenty years ago a German scientist, Nobbe, 
discovered that the small nodules found on the roots of 
the leguminous plants contained bacteria that took nitro- 
gen from the air and transferred it to the plant. It had 
been known that cultivated soils were rapidly losing their 
original supply of nitrogen and there seemed no practi- 
cable way of restoring it in sufficient quantity. Commer- 
cial nitrogen costs fifteen cents per pound and the 
expense of applying it to the land to equalize the loss 
from an ordinary farm crop is almost equal to the value 
of a crop. Hence, the discovery that the legumes were 
nitrogen-gathering, by means of these bacteria, was 



198 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

hailed as one of the greatest of the age. With millions 
of pounds of nitrogen over his land there seemed now a 
method whereby the farmer could utilize some needed 
portions of it. The bacteria live in tubercles upon the 
roots of various leguminous plants, such as Red clover, 
Sweet clover, Bur clover, alfalfa, cowpeas, garden peas, 
vetches and beans. These tubercles are the home of the 
bacteria, minute forms of vegetable life, too small to be 
seen with the naked eye. The legumes have no power in 
themselves to draw nitrogen from the air, yet these bac- 
teria seem to have the power to absorb the free nitrogen 
and cause it to combine with other elements, forming 
nitrates or other assimilable compounds suitable for 
plant food. It has also been demonstrated that, as a rule, 
there are different species of these bacteria for different 
species of legumes. 

After German scientists had made their discoveries, 
one of the existence of these bacteria on the roots of the 
legumes and another that in the laboratory, these organ- 
isms could be Bred and multiplied, they seemed unable to 
develop them of sufficient vigor to survive any general 
distribution. At this point Dr. George T. Moore of the 
United States Department of Agriculture, hit upon a plan 
of cultivating them in a way by which they could be pre- 
served for many months, and he also gave them a much 
greater power. This nitrogen-fixing power was so devel- 
oped that seeds soaked in the solution, it is claimed, 
sprouted and produced plants in sand that possessed no 
nitrates. He then found that these bacteria when grown 
upon nitrogen-free media will retain a high activity for a 
long time, if carefully dried out and then revived in a 



NITRO-CULTURE I99 

liquid medium. He also devised a plan by which they 
could be mailed to any part of the world and arrive in 
perfect condition. 

Most experiment station men have given to Dr. Moore 
great credit for his discoveries and have tried, with rather 
marked success, his method of nitro-culture ; on the 
other hand a few have been opposed to the method from 
the beginning and are still opposed. It would seem that 
the tests made prove that nitro-culture does introduce 
bacteria when directions are followed. 

Of course if a farmer's soil has the alfalfa bacteria, it 
is not necessary to use any system of inoculation. If 
Sweet clover or Bur clover is growing in the vicinity, or 
if alfalfa is thriftily growing near without the aid of 
inoculation, it is hardly necessary to make there further 
efforts for the introduction of bacteria. 

SUGGESTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL- 
TURE. 

In a preceding chapter the opinion was expressed that 
in most states, and in most localities in those states, inocu- 
lation was unnecessary because bacteria were already pres- 
ent ; yet it is true that these bacteria are present, if at all, in 
varying quantity. If comparatively few are present, any 
method of inoculation that will introduce more into the 
soil, to hasten the growth of the tubercles and promote 
the gathering of nitrogen, will be helpful. The fact is, 
we know as yet comparatively little of all there is to be 
learned about this wonderful principle. It is altogether 
probable that the use of nitro-culture is as practicable and 
as free from objections as the use of inoculated soil, espe- 



200 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

cially from distant and unknown fields. In one of its bul^ 
letins the United States Department of Agriculture has 
summarized its advice as to inoculation as follows: 

When Inoculation is Necessary. — Inoculation is nec- 
essary — 

1. On a soil low in organic matter that has not pre^ 
viously borne leguminous crops. 

2. If the legumes previously grown on the same land 
were devoid of nodules, of "nitrogen knots," thus show- 
ing the need of the nodule-forming bacteria. 

3. When the legume to be sown belongs to a species 
not closely related to one previously grown on the same 
soil. For instance, soil in which Red clover forms nod- 
ules will often fail to produce nodules on alfalfa when 
sown with the latter crop for the first time. 

When Inoculation May Prove Advantageous. — Inocu- 
lation may prove advantageous — 

1. When the soil produces a sickly growth of legumes, 
even though their roots show some nodules. 

If the cultures introduced are of the highest virility, 
their use will often result in a more vigorous growth. 

2. When a leguminous crop already sown has made a 
stand, but shows signs of failing, owing to the absence of 
root nodules. 

The use of the culture liquid as a spray or by mixture 
with soil and top-dressing may save the stand if other 
conditions are favorable. 

When Inoculation is Unnecessary. — On the other hand, 
inoculation is unnecessary and offers little prospect of 
gain— 



NITRO-CULTURE 201 

1. When the leguminous crops that are usually grown 
are producing up to the average, and the roots show nod- 
ules in normal abundance. 

Cultures of nitrogen-fixing bacteria are not to be 
regarded in the light of fertilizers, or as capable of 
increasing the yield under average conditions. They do 
not contain nitrogen itself, but bacteria, which make it 
possible for the legumes to secure nitrogen from the air 
(through the formation of root nodules). Where the 
soil is already adequately supplied with these bacteria, it 
will not usually pay to practice artificial inoculation. 

2. When the soil is already rich in nitrogen. 

It is neither necessary nor profitable to inoculate a soil 
rich in nitrogen when sowing legumes. Not only does 
the available nitrogen in the soil render the formation of 
nodules less necessary, but the nitrogenous materials in 
the soil largely prevent the bacteria from forming nodules. 

Any increased virility in nitrogen-fixing power pos- 
sessed by any of the types of bacteria yet distributed, may 
be rapidly lost in a soil containing an abundance of nitro- 
gen, because the bacteria are in a medium in which there 
is no demand for activity in securing atmospheric 
nitrogen. 

When Failure is to be Expected — Inoculation will fail 
where other conditions (aside from the need of bacteria) 
are not taken into account, among which are the fol- 
lowing — 

1. In soil that is acid and in need of lime. 

Liming to correct acidity is as important for the proper 
activity of the bacteria as for the growth of the plants. 

2. In soil that is deficient in fertilizers, such as potash, 
phosphoric acid, or lime. 



202 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

The activity of the bacteria in securing nitrogen from 
the air and rendering it available to the legumes does not 
do away with the need for such fertilizing elements as 
potash and phosphorus. 

3. It must also be remembered that inoculation does 
not "act like magic"; it will not overcome results due to 
bad seed, improper preparation and cultivation of the 
ground, and decidedly adverse conditions of weather and 
climate. 

In the use of the cultures, also, failure is almost certain 
where the directions are not carefully studied and intel- 
ligently followed. 

SWEET CLOVER SOIL USED TO INOCULATE ALFALFA 

FIELDS. 

The discovery in Illinois that inoculation of the soil for 
alfalfa was necessary in certain places and not in others 
suggested the theory that bacteria living on some other, 
probably native, plant were identical with the alfalfa bac- 
teria. Investigations led to satisfactory evidence that this 
was the case and that the native plant was the ordinary 
Sweet clover (Melilohis alba). The accompanying illus- 
tration shows the results of a series of pot culture experi- 
ments made at the University of Illinois and reported in 
Bulletin No. 94 by Prof. Cyril G. Hopkins. The four 
photographs were made five, six, seven and eight weeks, 
respectively, from the time of planting. Alfalfa seed 
were planted in each of the five pots, in carefully prepared 
soil practically free of combined nitrogen, and at the same 
time four of the five pots were inoculated as follows : 



NITRO-CULTURE 203 

Pot No, I. — Not inoculated. 

Pot No. 2. — Inoculated with bacteria obtained from 
infected alfalfa soil. 

Pot No. 3. — Inoculated with bacteria obtained from 
alfalfa root tubercles. 

Pot No. 4. — Inoculated with bacteria obtained from 
infected Sweet clover soil. 

Pot No. 5. — Inoculated with bacteria obtained from 
Sweet clover root tubercles. 

The results indicate that the same effect is produced 
upon the growth of the alfalfa by the nitrogen-gathering 
bacteria obtained from Sweet clover as by those from the 
older alfalfa, and seem to prove that infected Sweet clover 
soil can be used for the inoculation of alfalfa fields. Inves- 
tigations have shown that lOO pounds of thoroughly 
infected soil to the acre is sufficient to produce a satisfac- 
tory inoculation within one year from the time it is 
applied. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Alfalfa as a Commercial Factor 

EFFECT OX LAND VAIiUES. 

Only a few years ago alfalfa hay was not named in the 
market reports. Now it is conspicuous in the lists of 
hays. Then there were thousands of sandy acres in Kan- 
sas and Nebraska being held at from $2 to $5 per acre 
that now, seeded to alfalfa, are selling at from $30 to $75 
per acre. Then, cultivated farms in those districts could 
be rented for $1 per acre; now, seeded one-half to alfalfa, 
they rent for $3 to $5 and more per acre. In the South 
cotton lands rent for $5, and alfalfa lands at $15 per acre. 
Land in the Yellowstone valley was worth, wild, $1.50 
per acre; now, under irrigation and seeded half to alfalfa 
and half to wheat it commands $100 per acre. A few 
years ago labor commanded in those districts that now 
raise alfalfa about $1 a day; since then, during alfalfa 
harvest, hundreds of men have been imported there and 
paid $2 or $2.50 per day. Then farmers were poor and 
trade was dull ; now, a farmer who owns eighty acres well 
set in alfalfa, harvests about 300 tons of hay worth from 
$5 to $12 per ton and has the proceeds available for added 
comforts, improvements and luxuries. 

A few years ago it was thought that America was 
approaching a crisis in the matter of beef and pork and 



ALFALFA AS A COMMERCIAL FACTOR 20$ 

mutton production because of the rapid diminishing of 
the free public ranges by the forest reserves, irrigation 
projects, and the like. It was insisted that the farmers 
could not nearly sustain the meat supply. Possibly they 
cannot, but alfalfa is doing wonders in helping to solve 
the problem of cheap meat production. Millions of sheep 
and thousands of cattle are being fattened annually on the 
alfalfa of California, Montana, Colorado, Kansas and 
Nebraska, and in some portions where a few years ago 
the sandy prairies gave but a scant subsistence to scrawny 
range cattle. 

ENHANCES DAIRY INTERESTS. 

In parts of the East since the introduction of alfalfa, 
the number of dairy cows in many townships has trebled 
and the dairy product more than quadrupled. When two 
acres of alfalfa will carry ten dairy cows through a sum- 
mer, the day and opportunity of the small dairyman are 
certainly at hand. When, as is the case, alfalfa increases 
the rental and selling value and consequently the taxable 
value of land ; when it increases the demand for and price 
of labor; when it increases the fertility of the land for 
other crops that may follow; when it brings enlarged 
profits to the entire stock-raising and stock-fattening 
interests, and puts more money in circulation, it is inevit- 
ably to be considered a commercial factor. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

The Enemies of Alfalfa 

The most notable enemies of alfalfa are weeds, insects, 
parasites, and animals. More failures to raise alfalfa are 
caused by weeds than by all other enemies combined. 
The cause of weeds in a field is usually poor farming. 
Clipping alfalfa early in May will kill many weeds. If 
the weeds grow up, clip again and do the same every 
time they threaten to become rampant. If they are kept 
from seeding, and do not in a large measure crowd out 
the alfalfa, good crops may be had from it the second 
season. If sowed in the fall, disking early in April may 
kill most of the weeds. It is folly to sow alfalfa on a foul 
field, as it is far less e?cpensive to kill out the weeds 
beforehand. Disking and clipping will do much to 
destroy them, but if they secure a strong foothold the 
best thing to do is to plow up the field, plant it in corn, 
give it clean cultivation, and sow alfalfa again when the 
weeds have been exterminated. 

DODDER. 

Dodder is an annoying enemy. It Is a parasite, belong- 
ing to the morning-glory family, growing from its own 
small seed but attaching itself very soon to the alfalfa 
stalk. It then separates itself from its own root arid 
thereafter lives on the juices of the alfalfa until it ripens 




Bur Clover Pod 

Magnified six diameters 




Yellow Trefoil Seed Pod 



Magnified twelve diameters 




Alfalfa Seed Pod 



Magnified six diameters 




Spotted Clover Pod 

Magnified six diameters 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 20^ 

its seeds or has killed the alfalfa. The wisest and safest 
thing to do is to sow only seed so thoroughly cleaned that 
there will be no dodder with it. If, later, it is found that 
any dodder seed escaped the cleaning operations and is 
growing, the grower should go through the field with a 
knife or sickle and a large basket or sack and cut out and 
burn every dodder vine and every plant to which dodder 
is attached. If so unfortunate as to have sown seed with 
a considerable mixture of dodder, clip the alfalfa early 
in May, let the clippings dry for two or three days or 
longer, and then burn on the field, watching carefully to 
have the fire touch every part. It will facilitate a com- 
plete burning to sprinkle parts not burning readily, with 
kerosene. If there is a poor stand of alfalfa largely 
infested with dodder, safety lies in plowing it up and cul- 
tivating the field in corn or potatoes for two or three 
years. 

From an excellent article on the dodder that infests 
alfalfa (Cuscuta epithymum) by Mr. F. E. Dawley, a 
New York authority on alfalfa, and printed with illus- 
trations in the Country Gentleman, the excerpts here fol- 
lowing are taken : 

"The only sure method of keeping alfalfa fields free 
from dodder is through exercising greater caution in the 
purchase of seed. There is no reason why thoroughly 
recleaned alfalfa seed should have any dodder seed in it, 
as reference to the illustrations will show. The relative 
sizes and forms of the seeds of alfalfa and dodder ace 
shown herewith. It will be seen that there is a marked 
difference in both the sizes and the shapes of the seeds. 
The alfalfa seed is shaped like a little kidney bean, and 



20S THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

varies in color from light yellowish-gre^n to a rich golden- 
yellow, and in some instances, because of weathering, or 
sweating in the cock, or perhaps standing too long, it 
shows a reddish-brown color. The dodder seed is darker 
in color than the alfalfa, all of that which I have suc- 
ceeded in gathering from the plants being a rich golden- 
brown. The accompanying illustrations show the form of 
the dodder and alfalfa seed respectively. 

"The seeds, being sown, germinate in the soil, throw- 
ing up a slender, thread-like stem somewhat resembling 
a corn silk, which retains its connection with the ground 
until it comes in contact with the stem of the alfalfa plant. 
It twines around this tightly, sending its feeding suckers 
through the outside bark, and as soon as it is firmly 
attached to the host plant, the ground connection is sev- 
ered and it is sustained by the plant juices which are taken 
in by the suckers. It continues to grow and spread, twin- 
ing around other stalks and increasing very rapidly until 
a colony is established. Continuing to grow, it climbs 
toward the upper portion of the plants, feeding on their 
juices and sapping their vitality, but never goes to the 
extreme top, seeming to prefer the dampness and dark- 
ness of the matted alfalfa rather than sunlight. The 
plants first attacked begin to die, and the dodder, spread- 
ing out in all directions, forms a circle or ring. 

"The rapidity with which the pest spreads makes it a 
serious menace to the alfalfa grower. Comparatively 
little work has been done by scientific men in studying 
the dodders and methods of eradication, and the fact that 
the little rootlets or suckers (haustoria) become so firmly 
afiixed to the host plant that it must be destroyed together 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 209 

with the parasite, has made the work hard and the results 
obtained unsatisfactory. There are a number of methods 
by which dodder may be spread through a field. As soon 
as it becomes thoroughly established on a host plant, the 
many little branches, waving about like the shoot pro- 
duced from the seed, attach themselves to other plants, 
and thus the colony is increased in size. In legumes, tliQ 
host plant first attacked soon dies, but before this occurs, 
the parasite has become firmly established on adjoining 
plants and is reaching out and completing the colony. 
As soon as a host dies, the dodder also perishes, but before 
this happens it is very likely to have blossomed and seeded. 
"In the operations of mowing, tedding, raking and 
drawing the alfalfa hay, these little colonies are spread 
about the fields by the machines and the workmen, and 
on the horses' feet. The sale of infested hay is a prolific 
means of dissemination. Hunters and pleasure seekers, 
walking through the fields, notice the peculiar corn-silk- 
like growths and often, by picking up particles of it which 
are soon cast away, establish new colonies. The flower 
is very peculiar and attracts the attention of people pass- 
ing, who are apt to pick them together with some of the 
maturing seed, and scatter these over the fields. In a 
pastured field, the animals spread the seed to some extent 
while moving from place to place in feeding. The most 
serious menace, however, is from the purchase of impure 
seed; farmers should always be absolutely certain that 
the alfalfa seed which they are buying is thoroughly 
recleaned and that no small weed seed is to be found in it. 
One should never sow clover or alfalfa from a field or 
even from a locality in which dodder is known to exist. 



210 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

It is probable that the seeds thoroughly ripened will 
retain their germinating powers for some years. The 
purchase of hay from dodder infested fields, or the pur- 
chase of manure from barns where infested hay has been 
fed, are sure sources of contamination. 

"Where a newly seeded alfalfa field shows evidence of 
guite general dodder infection, it is useless to attempt to 
eradicate it, and the field should be plowed up and planted 
with some hoed crop for a period of years. Old fields 
that have been thoroughly infested will probably be more 
economically treated in this manner than in any other. 
In newly sown fields, one of the most effective methods 
is probably hoeing over the spots where the dodder 
appears, .going over them once in two weeks and allowing 
nothing to grow on them until the dodder seed is ger- 
minated. A modification of this method has been used 
successfully by spading in fields where the colonies of 
dodder were seen, raking out all the tops, roots and 
branches, adding a little straw or hay and burning the 
mass, and then keeping the spot thoroughly hoed for a 
season. For fields where the colonies are small and scat- 
tered, this method of hoeing and shallow cultivation is 
probably the most practicable, as it helps to secure the 
early germination of any seeds that were left in the 
ground, and also kills them as soon as they are germi- 
nated. If the seed has developed, one must be careful not 
to spade it in too deep, as it may retain its vitality for 
some years if left covered in the moist soil. 

"Burning has been recommended by some, raking the 
dodder vines and what is left of the alfalfa to the center 
of the colonies, putting brush or straw with it, together 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA '211 

with some fine, light wood or chips and sprinkling- with 
kerosene, so that the alfalfa plants will be burned close 
to the ground. This is necessary from the fact that the 
little coils of dodder close to the crown of the plants will 
retain their vitality and grow after a very severe burn- 
ing, providing the alfalfa which is above the ground is 
not killed also. The most difficult problem to be con- 
fronted in killing out dodder where it has become estab- 
lished, arises from the fact that if these little coils which 
wind themselves closely around the plant are not killed 
or removed, the dodder will spread from these and make 
a new growth. Many experiments have been made with 
chemicals, but none of them have proved wholly success- 
ful, from the fact that these little rings were not 
destroyed. All the rest of the plant was killed and the 
production of flowers and seed prevented; but as these 
little rings were not killed, the dodder began growing 
again and continued to grow throughout the season." 

I/EAF SPOT. 

Leaf spot is a very peculiar disease and, fortunately, 
not common in this country. It has been known in 
France since 1832. In 1891 it was destructive in Iowa 
alfalfa, the loss in the neighborhood of the experiment 
station being estimated at 50 per cent. In reference to 
this infliction the Iowa station, among other information, 
printed 'the following: 

"Any time after the plant has attained a growth of 
four to six inches from the seed, but most commonly 
after the first year's growth, there appears upon the upper 
side of the leaves small, irregular brownish spots, which 



212 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

enlarge to about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and 
extend through the leaf to the under side, turning all 
parts brown. . . . When many spots occur on the same 
leaf the whole leaf soon turns yellow and falls off. This 
falling of the leaves and the natural loss in vigor, due to 
the diseased condition before the falling, constitute its 
great damage. Frequent cutting of the crop materially 
prevents the disease." 

In eastern states farmers report that there are frequent 
patches in their fields where the leaves turn red and the 
plant dies. The probable explanation of this trouble is 
"wet feet," which alfalfa will not abide. Don't expect to 
get a crop of alfalfa from a field in which water is near 
the surface. Drain it or use another field. 

ROOT ROT. 

A disease peculiar to portions of the southern states is 
called "root rot," and similar to the root rot found in 
cotton fields. The alfalfa dies in spots, these spots widen- 
ing in circular form. This is a fungus that spreads only 
in summer. The only means of eradicating so far 
(reported by the Texas station) is the application of com- 
mon salt and kerosene. It has not proven a serious 
annoyance. 

GOPHERS AND PRAIRIE DOGS. 

Gophers and prairie dogs are great pests in some parts 
of the Middle West, and about the only successful means 
of combating them is poison. The state of Kansas has, 
probably more than any other, made a systematic effort 
to destroy its gophers and prairie dogs, by liberal appro- 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 2 1 3 

priations and a field agent to supervise the work to be 
carried out under provisions of law by local officials. 

The injury done by the gophers consists chiefly in 
throwing up mounds of soil taken from their burrows, 
and these greatly interfere with operating the mowing 
machine in harvesting. In the alfalfa fields there is also 
a noticeable thinning out of the plants, by reason of the 
cutting off of the roots. These root cuttings are stored 
in the burrows in considerable piles, and are used in cold 
weather by the gophers for food. It is claimed by some 
alfalfa growers that this process of thinning out the plants 
is a benefit rather than an injury to the field, but, says 
Prof. D. E. Lantz, the official formerly in charge of the 
Kansas work, *T have known fields where this thinning 
has continued until the crop did not half cover the ground 
at cutting time, and the fields were plowed up for the 
planting of other crops. The loss from gopher depreda- 
tions to the alfalfa growers of Kansas during 1901 was 
probably fully one-tenth of the entire product, and had a 
money value of at least $500,000." 

According to Professor Lantz, carbon bisulphide and 
other poisonous gases have frequently been recommended 
for the destruction of the pocket-gopher, but the great 
length of the burrows and their irregularities in depth pre- 
vent the gases from flowing into every part, and the ani- 
mals often escape. Trapping, if properly done, is a sure 
m.ethod of killing the gopher; but it is attended with con- 
siderable labor and is very slow. An excellent trap for 
general use is the No. O ordinary steel trap. Sink it in 
loose soil to the level of the runway, nearly conceal it by 
sprinkling fine earth over it, and leave the hole open. 



214 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Gophers are easily poisoned. They are fond of pota- 
toes, sweet potatoes, apples, raisins and prunes. The 
presence of strychnine, arsenic or other poisons does not 
seem to deter them from eating the food; but if the poison 
is sweetened they seem to eat it more readily. In sum- 
mer it may be desirable to sweeten the poison, but in the 
fall and early spring it does not seem worth while. The 
poisoned food being introduced to the burrows below the 
surface, there is no danger of poisoning stock. It might 
be well, however, not to let swine run in the fields for a 
time after the poison has been put out. 

The following method of introducing poison is rec- 
ommended : Cut the potatoes or other food into pieces 
not more than three-fourths of an inch in diameter. Cut 
a slit in each piece and with a point of the knife blade 
insert a little sulphate of strychnine; as' much as half the 
bulk of a grain of wheat. Having prepared the bait in 
sufficient quantity, go to the field armed with a round, 
sharp-pointed implement an inch or an inch and a half in 
diameter and of sufficient length. The tool here illus- 
trated was made by a blacksmith. 



T" 

It is a spade handle shod with an iron point. A bar 
is attached about fifteen inches from the point to enable 
the operator to use his foot in pressing it into the soil. 
With this tool it is only necessary to find the runway of 
the gopher. The handle is sufficiently thick to make a 
hole large enough to permit one to drop the poisoned 
potato directly into the burrow. The operator then passes 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 21$ 

on to another place, leaving the hole open. No digging 
with a spade or other hard labor is necessary. An 
experienced person can distribute poison to many acres 
of alfalfa in a day; and if proper care is taken to rightly 
distribute the bait, it will not be necessary to go over the 
ground a second time. Some experience is required to 
find the burrows quickly. It is best to insert the food as 
near as possible to the freshest mounds of earth. Two 
or three pieces of potato at that place are worth many 
scattered in other parts of the runway. The operator 
should avoid the larger mounds and those that are not 
freshly made. 

For destroying prairie dogs, Professor Lantz says that 
out of thousands of suggestions nothing has been found 
more effective than strychnine poison and carbon bisul- 
phide. Following are directions for preparing and using 
the strychnine : 

"Dissolve one and a half ounces of strychnia sulphate 
in a quart of hot water. Add a quart of syrup — molasses, 
sorghum, or thick sugar and water — and a teaspoonful 
of oil of anise. Thoroughly heat and mix the liquid. 
While hot pour it over a bushel of clean wheat and mix 
completely. Then stir in two or more pounds of fine 
corn meal. The quantity of corn meal needed will 
depend upon the amount of extra moisture present. 
There should be enough to wet every grain of the wheat 
and no more. Care should be taken that there is n) 
leakage from the vessel in which the wheat is mixed. 
Let the poisoned grain stand over night, and distribute 
it in the early morning of a bright day. Use a table- 
spoonful of the wheat to each hole occupied by prairie 



2l6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

dogs, putting it near the mouth of the burrow in two or 
three httle bunches. Do not put out the poison in cold 
or stormy weather. It will keep for a considerable time, 
and is much more effective after a cold period, as the 
animals are then hungry and eat the grain readily, A 
bushel of wheat should poison looo to 1200 holes. An 
excellent substitute for the oil of anise in this formula 
can be made by soaking two ounces of green coffee ber- 
ries in the whites of three eggs. Let this stand for about 
twelve hours, and use the liquid instead of anise oil." 

A tablespoonful of carbon bisulphide, upon some such 
absorbent material as cotton, dry horse manure, or a piece 
of corn-cob, and rolled into the burrows, is effective. It 
is best immediately to cover the hole with a sod and stamp 
down firmly. 

GRASSHOPPERS. 

Grasshoppers are a source of no little loss to alfalfa 
growers in some parts of the West. They usually do 
their greatest damage to the season's second crop, the 
young not being very destructive to the first. The best 
remedy, or rather prevention, is deep disking in April and 
then harrov/ing to destroy the eggs. 

Where the pests attack or are about to attack a field 
of alfalfa. Prof. L. Bruner, of the Nebraska station recom- 
mends the use of a "hopper dozer," which is "simply a 
long, shallow pan of stove-pipe iron or galvanized iron 
mounted on runners and backed by a light frame covered 
with cloth. The pan is about four inches deep, from 
eighteen inches to two feet wide, and from ten to sixteen 
feet long. It is partly filled with water and a little kero- 
sene. A horse drags the machine across the field over 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 2l7 

the stubble of the first crop and the half-grown hoppers 
jump into the pan where the oil coats them over and 
kills every one that it touches. The hopper dozer works 
best on level land. On sloping ground the oil and water 
run to one end and slop over. To prevent this the pan is 
usually divided into sections by a number of partitions. 
The runners should stick out in front of the pan about 
a foot and one-half, and a piece of chain or heavy rope 
should be stretched loosely between them to_drag ahead 
of the machine and make the hoppers jump. On level 
fields there are no great difficulties in the use of the 
hopper dozer. Careless driving may spill oil on some 
alfalfa and kill it. If these machines are to be really 
eflfective, they must be used before the grasshoppers get 
their wings. The first crop of alfalfa should be cut as 
early as possible, and the hopper dozers should follow 
the rakes as closely as may be. On the whole, they should 
be used only where plowing and harrowing have not been 
done or have failed to keep the grasshoppers in check." 

Of the use of this implement or machine Prof. S. J. 
Hunter has this to say : 

"The height of the runners depends upon the height 
of crop to be protected. It is important that there be no 
timbers in front of the pan, so that its front line may 
come in contact with the grain passed over. The insects 
then fall directly into the fluid. When ready for use 
place two buckets of water and one-half gallon of coal- 
oil in each pan, and then drive back and forth across the 
end of the field where the grasshoppers are entering until 
you have filled the pans; remove the insects, replenish 
with oil and water, and continue until the field is rid of 
the pest. 



2l8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"Many grasshoppers will be seen strike the sheet- 
iron back, drop into the pans and immediately jump out 
again. Those farmers who observed the experiments 
were at first of the opinion that the locusts that jumped 
out had jumped away 'to live another day.' The writer 
asked those interested to watch the insects and note the 
actions of grasshoppers that had jumped out. In every 
case the report was that the insects became sick and 
soon died. In fact, persons going over fields where 
a day or so before the hopper dozer had been at work, 
were impressed with the number of dead grass- 
hoppers on the ground. An examination showed the 
presence of coal-oil upon the body. This, kerosene and 
water is an external irritant, and my observations have 
been that the mixture is more effective than the oil alone. 

"The use of the machine may be best shown by 
examples. In Ford county, Kansas, a large tract of 
alfalfa was cut, and the locusts at once began moving into 
a large field of Kafir-corn which had been sown broad- 
cast. The hopper dozer was drawn back and forth across 
the end of the corn field nearest the alfalfa land until a 
portion of the field about twenty rods deep had been gone 
over. Here it was apparent that there were very few 
grasshoppers; or, in other words, the advance line of 
the locusts' march only extended twenty rods into the 
field. Two days later the same area of ground was cov- 
ered, but not as many insects were taken. Grasshoppers 
no longer entered this corn and the hopper dozer was no 
longer used at this point. 

"It has been my experience with this machine that 
after it has passed over vegetation it does not injure the 



THE ENEMIES OF ALFALFA 219 

plants, but in some way renders the vegetation distasteful 
to the grasshoppers, so that they turn their course and 
seek food elsewhere. I have observed that these native 
grasshoppers enter a field from one corner or side, and 
that they are not as a rule scattered over the whole field, 
but occur in great numbers in patches. This being the 
case, it is evident that with very little labor with this 
machine the products of a field can be given full oppor- 
tunity to mature." 

ARMY WORMS. 

In Nebraska the fall army worm has caused consider- 
able damage. It is distinct from the true army worm, hav- 
ing small hairs growing out from small black spots; it 
has a whitish "Y" shaped mark upon the head. The 
parent of the worms is a moth of a yellowish, ash-gray 
color. The female moth deposits her eggs in clusters 
upon the leaves and stems. With the approach of cold 
weather the worms pass into the ground and enter the 
chrysalis stage about one or two inches below the surface. 
When very numerous the only effective treatment is to 
disk thoroughly in the spring. 

BIND W^ED. 

Bindweed, belonging to the morning-glory family, is 
one of the meanest weeds that annoy alfalfa raisers. It 
spreads from the root, and is more than liable to smother 
out alfalfa or any other crop which tries to occupy its 
ground. If infested fields could be grazed closely with 
hogs or sheep, they might keep the bindweed down and 
finally eradicate it. If this cannot be done, the only rem- 
edy is to plow and use the land for some other crop. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Difficulties and Discouragements 

Notwithstanding the fact that alfalfa is now grown 
successfully in all parts of the United States, in almost 
all kinds of soils and under many dissimilar conditions of 
climate, there are grouped here as a summary from pre- 
ceding chapters the several difficulties and discourage- 
ments that may confront the one who would grow it. 

I. Securing a Good Stand. Theoretically, the farmer 
should secure a good stand every year with every crop, 
but he does not. He obtains, however, poor stands of 
wheat and corn and potatoes oftener than a poor stand 
of alfalfa. Why does he fail with alfalfa? The follow- 
ing, at least in part, suggests why : 

a He neglects to prepare sufficiently in advance. He 
should select his alfalfa field one or two years before he 
intends sowing. If he raises wheat, he should sow a little 
alfalfa seed with his wheat, one or even two years before 
ready for alfalfa. This will leave a few roots and the 
proper bacteria will have been introduced into the soil. 
For two years there should be a vigorous fight against 
weeds, the fewest possible being permitted to ripen seed. 

b He neglects to prepare properly for the preceding 
crop, and sometimes plants the wrong crop, although 
sorghum and Kafir corn are about the only very objec- 






w 



s 





Ph 






£ Z - 
A o 



DIFFICULTIES AND DISCOURAGEMENTS 221 

tionable planting to precede alfalfa. These have usually 
taken too much of the land's moisture, especially if the 
season has been somewhat dry, to permit a prosperous 
beginning of the plants from fall sown seed. Millet, oats 
or cowpeas are the best crops to precede, i. e. for the first 
trial. The plowing for this preceding crop should be 
deep. In clay land a subsoil plow (the kind which loosens 
but does not throw the subsoil to the surface) should 
follow. It is extremely important that a dressing of 
stable manure be plowed under for this preceding crop. 
The seed bed should be carefully prepared, and under 
favorable conditions. Working the ground when too wet 
would make it impossible to secure a proper seed bed 
later when preparing for alfalfa. 

c He neglects to prepare the alfalfa seed bed prop- 
erly. He should begin disking and harrowing as soon as 
the preparatory crop is off the ground, and continue 
this at intervals of ten or fifteen days until time for sow- 
ing, when the soil should be as fine as for an onion bed. 

d He uses poor seed; seed that is infertile, or adul- 
terated with weed seeds — undesirable and unreliable in 
every way. 

2. Dying out the second year, which in most instances 
is due to one of two causes, viz. : neglect to plow under 
stable manure for the preceding crop, or pasturing alfalfa 
in its first year. Not an animal should be turned on an 
alfalfa field for pasture until the second or, preferably, 
the third year. Another cause is disturbance of the soil 
and plants by severe freezing. This may often be pre- 
vented in a degree by a light top-dressing of manure in 
December. 



1222 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

3. Failure through harvesting and stacking. 

4. Injury from insects or disease. 

These are practically all the things that need occasion 
serious vexation. Of course alfalfa calls for more work 
in harvesting than corn, or clover, or timothy; but one 
acre of prosperous alfalfa is worth two or three of corn, 
or clover or timothy, even for market, while for feeding 
purposes the difference is even greater. The "poor" 
farmer, the lazy farmer, the "corner grocery" farmer 
should not sow alfalfa. 



CHAPTER XXV, 

Miscellaneous 

ALFALFA IN THE ORCHARD. 

Probably nine-tenths of those who have written on this 
subject have condemned the practice of sowing alfalfa 
in the orchard. They have said that the alfalfa demanded 
so much moisture that the trees would be dwarfed if not 
destroyed. In going through an immense amount of 
material in the preparation of this book only two 
instances have been found of men who claim that the 
alfalfa is a benefit to orchards. One of these was from 
Texas and the newspaper quoting him did not give his 
name. He was reported to have used his orchard for 
hog pasture, keeping on five acres from ten to fifteen 
sows with their pigs from early April to September. He 
claimed that the alfalfa instead of robbing the orchard 
of moisture actually contributed to the surface moisture 
and benefited the trees. 

Prof. F. L. Watrous, of the Colorado station, is an 
earnest advocate of the use of alfalfa in the orchard and 
from an article of his this is quoted : 

"Whatever may have been believed or imagined as to 
the uncongeniality of trees and alfalfa the theory is des- 
tined to an early downfall. The evidence is at hand now 



224 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

to show that not only is alfalfa not a detriment when 
grown among fruit trees, but in many ways it is a posi- 
tive benefit, lending itself and its properties to the advan- 
tage of the trees. 

"On land where moisture can be found at from six to 
ten feet from the surface, the congeniality of the alfalfa 
plant and the apple tree becomes apparent. Both need 
plenty of surface water the first year, a little less the sec- 
ond, and very little or none thereafter. 

"After trees become old enough to bear and need all 
the land between them, and that fertilized and renovated, 
alfalfa may be used as a food gatherer and distributer. 
It pushes down into the lower strata, bringing up min- 
eral elements, captures nitrogen from the air through its 
loot processes, and brings all together near the surface, 
thus giving to the trees the food they need to fill up and 
mature fruit. Nor is this all. The alfalfa falling on the 
ground makes a soft cover upon which windfalls may 
drop with little bruising; it so occupies the soil as to 
allow no foul growth to creep in; it does away with the 
work of weeding or cultivating, and keeps the surface 
cool and porous, furnishing excellent pasture for hogs 
if the trees are protected. It would be possible, of course, 
in this system of co-operation between fruit trees and 
alfalfa to secure a crop of hay or seed during the off 
years for fruit, but whether this would prove profitable 
may be questioned. Orchards growing under the condi- 
tions described have produced magnificent crops of fruit 
which, for size, quality and coloring, is seldom equaled.'* 



MISCELLANEOUS 225 

SO»IE AliFAIiFA "MUSTS" AND "DON'TS." 

A Knox county, Ohio, man, in expressing himself as 
to some of the requisites for success with alfalfa, as 
observed from his viewpoint, has this to say ; 

"I have known about alfalfa from boyhood; been 
familiar with it for thirty years, and have grown it suc- 
cessfully on many soils, from a stiff clay, upwards. The 
failures which I have seen have been accounted for by 
the non-performance of some of the essentials. There 
are certain 'musts,' not 'shoulds,' to be observed to secure 
success. Here they are from my experience: 

"First of all the seed must be pure, of high germinat- 
ing power, and of the highest possible vitality. If T 
doubted my own proficiency in these determinations, I 
would consult the nearest experiment station. I have 
had occasion to consult experiment stations, from New 
Jersey to Wisconsin, on various subjects, and in every 
instance have met with prompt and valuable — and sym- 
pathetic — assistance. 

"The soil must have lime ; either as one of its natural 
constituents, or lime must be added. If the soil is defi- 
cient, then the lime must be incorporated with the soil 
some months before seeding. 

"The land must have efficient drainage, either natural, 
or, as in the case of clay and heavy clay loams, artificial. 

"The land must be fertile to a depth of at least nine 
inches. Beyond that depth the taproot in its search for 
water will take care of itself." 

Another writer, impressed by practices he regards as 
reprehensible, enumerates them as follows: 



226 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

"Don't SOW any nurse crop. 

"Don't sow on freshly plowed land, no matter how 
carefully prepared. 

"Don't let weeds or grass grow over six inches high 
without clipping, 

"Don't clip or mow when wet with rain or dew. 

"Don't let alfalfa stand if turning yellow; cut it.- 

"Don't sow old seed. 

"Don't sow less than twenty-five pounds per acre, one- 
half each way. 

"Don't sow on land that will not raise 250 bushels of 
potatoes per acre. 

"Don't sow twenty-five acres at first, sow five. 

"Don't pasture it. 

"Don't put any of the rotten manure anywhere but 
on your alfalfa plot. 

"Don't depend on 'culture cakes' or soil from some 
distant field. 

"Don't let water ever stand on it. 

"Don't let it go if a thin stand, but disk in more seed ; 
don't be afraid you will kill it. 

"Don't replow the land; disk it. 

"Don't wait for it to stool ; it never does. 

"Don't try to cut for hay until the alfalfa takes the 
field. 

"Don't sow on any land not well underdrained. 

"Don't leave your land rough; use a roller or a plank 
float to level and smooth it. 

"Don't give up." 



MISCELLANEOUS 227 

ALFIIiERIUDA OR "AIjFILARIA." 

(Erodiitm citattarmin. ) 

On account of the similarity of its name to that of 
alfalfa and the possibility of the two plants being con- 
fused in the minds of those not acquainted with them, it 
is proper to make mention here of the plant referred to 
in the caption above. It is not generally known nor 
widely distributed, and has as yet its principal habitat in 
semi-arid parts of the southwestern United States. The 
Century Dictionary calls it Pin-clover or Pin-grass, and 
classifies it with the Geranium family. Webster's Dic- 
tionary speaks of it as a weed in California. It is an 
annual and seeds profusely; a few seeds scattered over 
quite a large area result in a thorough seeding the sec- 
ond year. A stockman in Arizona writes that it will 
grow on any kind of soil except alkali ; that it was intro- 
duced from Australia by sheep carrying it in their wool. 
It is a southern plant and should not be seeded largely 
north of the northern line of Oklahoma until tested by 
the experiment stations. It should not be confused with 
alfalfa, as it is entirely dissimilar and not related. 

In discussing this plant an Arizona editor writes the 
following : 

"It is by no means a new or experimental crop, for it 
was the main reliance of Arizona stockmen during ten 
years of drouth. We suppose that the experiment sta- 
tions in the West have given it little attention because 
it is as wellknown as alfalfa here, and millions of acres 
are covered with it in various portions of the Territory. 



228 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

*'We know from many years experience that alfilaria 
will thrive and keep stock in good condition where no 
grass roots would live through one of the dry seasons. 
It is peculiarly adapted to the poorer soils in western 
Kansas, Nebraska, the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico, 
and portions of the northern section of Mexico. 

"Its merits are that it will grow in seasons so dry that 
other forage fails and that it will keep cattle in better 
health and condition as to flesh and growth than any- 
thing else we can grow in Arizona, not excepting alfalfa. 
In the spring cattle and horses will go miles to find it and 
it is better than 'condition powders' to put them in con- 
dition for summer growth. 

"What it will do on other classes of soil, under excess 
of moisture, is a matter of experiment; but where it is 
needed most — as above outlined, there is nothing that 
has ever been tested under these adverse conditions which 
can compare with alfilaria. This will be certified to by 
every ranchman and cattleman in this section of Arizona." 

MEASURING HAY IN THE STACK. 

Some method of arriving at the quantity in a stack, 
rick, or mow without weighing it, is, at one time and 
another, found desirable by everyone who has to do with 
loose hay. There can be no absolute rule laid down for 
this because of the varying compactness the hay attains 
under differing conditions of coarseness or fineness, 
moisture, length of time stacked or stored and the weight 
which has rested upon it. 

For prairie hay stacked not less than thirty days a 
cube seven feet square (343 cubic feet) is not uncom- 



MISCELLANEOUS 229 

monly bought or sold as a ton ; yet seven-and-a-half feet 
square, or 422 cubic feet, are often made the basis of 
estimating. The author is advised that in the alfalfa 
growing districts of the Yellowstone valley it is the 
general custom to accept as a ton 422 cubic feet of alfalfa 
hay if it has settled thirty days or more. Also that hay- 
men find there is a noticeable variation between the dif- 
ferent cuttings. The first cutting will fall short of actual 
weight more than the second, while the third cutting will 
hold up in weight, and sometimes overrun. Prof. E. 
A. Burnett, of the Nebraska experiment station, thinks 
an eight-foot cube, or 512 cubic feet, a fair figure. 

Professor Ten Eyck says: 

"The rules for measuring hay in the stack will vary 
according to the length of time the hay has been stacked 
and the kind and quality of the hay, and also according 
to the character of the stack. With alfalfa or prairie 
hay which has been stacked for thirty days it is usual to 
compute an eight-foot cube or 512 cubic feet as a ton. 
When the hay has been stacked five or six months, usually 
a seven-and-a-half-foot cube or 422 cubic feet is calcu- 
lated for a ton. In old stacks which have been stacked a 
year or more a seven- foot cube or 343 cubic feet is allowed 
for a ton. 

"There are different methods of measuring a stack, 
depending upon its shape and also its size. For a long 
stack or rick the usual method is to throw a line over 
the stack measuring the distance (in two or three places, 
and use the average) from the bottom on one side to the 
bottom on the other; add to this the average width of 
the stack, divide this sum by four (which equals one side 



230 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

of the square) and multiply the quotient by itself and 
this product by the length of the stack; this will give the 
number of cubic feet in the stack, which may be divided 
by 512, 422, or 343 in order to find the number of tons. 
For small, low ricks the rule is to subtract the. width 
from the 'over,' divide by 2, multiply by the width and 
multiply the product by the length, dividing the result 
by the number of cubic feet in a ton. 

''There is no established rule for measuring round 
stacks, but this one will approximate the contents of one 
of the ordinary conical form : Find the circumference at 
or above the base or 'bulge' at a height that will average 
the base from there to the ground, find the vertical 
height of the measured circumference from the ground 
and the slant height from the circumference to the top 
of the stack. Multiply the circumference by itself and 
divide by 100 and multiply by 8, then multiply the result 
by the height of the base plus one-third of the slant 
height of top. The hay in a round is necessarily less 
compact than in a rectangular stack, hence a greater 
number of feet should be allowed for a ton; with well 
settled hay, probably 512 feet. 

"The rules given may also be used in measuring any 
kind of hay, sorghum or Kafir- fodder in the stack. How- 
ever, for sorghum or Kafir-fodder only approximate 
results can be procured by stack measurements because 
the fodder is apt to vary greatly in weight, according to 
the moisture it contains." 








All.lfa ...11 ^Bui.M. I- r.l.. M »e,>CI..»»xo,| 1S,>„i U.»., 1u>...,cl„ 



Pot Culture Experiments at University of Illinois 

showing effect produced upon growth of alfalfa by nitrogen-gathering bacteria obtained 

from older alfalfa and sweet clover. Reading from top to bottom the 

four photographs were made five, six, seven and eight 

weeks, respectively, from time of planting. 




« I 



<rt >r 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Pradial Experiences of Alfalfa Growers 
in the United States of Ameria 

ALABAMA. 

Prof. J. F. Duggar, Director Alabama experiment 
station. — Alfalfa is grown in Alabama with entire suc- 
cess on the lime soil of the central prairie region of the 
state. This is a strip of land from lo to 20 miles wide, 
extending southeast and northwest almost across the 
state and into Mississippi. Beginning near Union 
Springs, this prairie passes near Montgomery, Selma, 
Demopolis, Greensboro and northwestward towards Co- 
lumbus, Miss. On the prairie lands in this area alfalfa 
affords from three to six cuttings per year, usually four, 
and the yield is from three to six tons per acre. Irriga- 
tion is not practiced. The seed is sown either in Septem- 
ber or in the early part of March, usually from 20 to 24 
pounds per acre. Almost a full crop is secured the first 
year from fall seeding, but only from one-third to two- 
thirds of a full crop is secured the first year from sowing 
seed in March. It is not customary on this soil to use 
fertilizer on alfalfa, but an application of even a light coat 
of stable manure immensely increases the yield on the 
poor spots. Failure has generally attended attempts to. 



232 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

grow alfalfa on non-calcareous or sandy soils, though un- 
der favorable conditions, with liberal manuring and con- 
stant warfare against crab-grass, it occasionally succeeds. 
In Bulletin No. 127 of the Alabama experiment station 
the results in alfalfa growing are summarized as follows : 
Usually the best crop to precede spring sown alfalfa is 
cotton, especially if cotton follows melilotus (Sweet 
clover). The best crop to prepare the land for fall sown al- 
falfa is cowpeas, sown very thickly. Farmers have 
found that alfalfa thrives when sown on Johnson grass 
meadows, holding its own, at least for the first few years, 
against this aggressive grass. Dodder, a yellow thread- 
like growth, is a serious enemy of alfalfa. One of the 
remedies consists in mowing and burning. Seed mer- 
chants often pass alfalfa seed through a machine which 
is claimed to remove the dodder seed. On sandy upland 
soils at Auburn, alfalfa has not afforded very profitable 
yields. On such soils it requires heavy applications of 
lime or barnyard manure, and it is believed that more 
profitable use can be made of manure. At Auburn neither 
nitrate of soda nor cottonseed meal very greatly in- 
creased the yield of alfalfa that was properly stocked with 
root tubercles. Acid phosphate and potash fertilizers are 
considered indispensable here, and generally advisable on 
sandy or other soils not rich in lime. Inoculation with 
soil from old fields of either alfalfa or Bur clover greatly 
increases the yield of alfalfa growing on sandy land. 
The germ that causes tubercles to develop on Sweet 
clover also causes tubercles to develop on the roots of al- 
falfa. Hence artificial inoculation of alfalfa is not neces- 
sary when it is grown on prairie land that has recently 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 1233 

borne a crop of melilotus. Artificial inoculation of al- 
falfa is probably advisable even for prairie soils v^hen it 
is uncertain whether either the melilotus or alfalfa germs 
are present in great numbers. In regions in Alabama 
where neither alfalfa, melilotus, nor Bur clover is exten- 
sively grown, inoculation of alfalfa is advisable. For 
this purpose one may use soil from old fields of either of 
these plants or inoculating material prepared in the lab- 
oratory. 

ARIZONA. 

John Blake, Graham county — Alfalfa is the king of 
forage plants here. It will stand considerable dry weather 
and live, but it will not yield profitably unless irrigated, 
or on naturally damp ground. It does not do well here 
on clay soil, and if clay subsoil is near the surface it is 
likely to dry out, unless watered. I have grown alfalfa 
for eight years on 175 acres, first and second bottom, and 
upland, with sandy and loam soils, with small patches of 
clay and various subsoils ; the alluvial bottoms are usually 
loam of different depths, underlaid with sand and gravel ; 
the next bottom more clayey, with quicksand about 13 
feet deep and gravel about 30 feet below the surface. On 
first bottoms, well water is reached at a depth of 3 to 8 
feet, the soil being dry on the surface only ; on the upland, 
the soil is dry for 20 or 30 feet, or until water is reached. 
Land intended for alfalfa had best be cultivated in other 
crops for two or three years, thus insuring the killing off 
of native brush and grass, and their roots; then it must 
be laid off in "lands" of various widths, according to 
the slope, each land being leveled uniformly and bordered 
to hold water. Seed may be sown in August, September, 



234 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

and October ; in fact, all the year, except from the middle 
of April to the first of August, when it is so hot and dry 
here. The quantity of seed used varies with the prepara- 
tion, from 12 to 20 pounds per acre. Sow with a 
"Cahoon" seeder, and cover with a brush or light harrow. 
It is generally sown here with barley, wheat, or oats. 
The grain is cut early for hay, or ripened and headed, in 
which case the stubble and alfalfa are cut immediately 
afterward and hauled off. The ground is then irrigated, 
and if it has previously been foul, there will be plenty of 
weeds. Another cutting in good time will usually eradi- 
cate these. The plant will not winterkill here if old 
enough to have four leaves before frost. We irrigate 
abundantly, from the Gila river, in winter and spring, 
filling up the soil and thus making less need for water 
during the hot, dry period. Irrigate after each crop is 
taken off, and some land is benefited by two irrigations 
for each cutting. The quantity of water needed depends 
on the character of the soil and subsoil; some on the bot- 
toms needs but little after the first year, and it is a good 
plan, if the subsoil is open, to let the plant go without 
artificial water after it has a good start, as it sends its 
roots down to moisture or water, if at a reasonable depth 
below ; it will then thrive on much less water, and the crop 
will be more nutritious. If one is raising hay for quan- 
tity, of course this does not apply. The four crops per 
season yield on an average: First, iy'2 to 2 tons; second 
and third, i^ to 4; fourth, three- fourths to one ton. If 
cutting for quantity, mow when fairly in bloom; if for 
feeding, when the seed has formed. I have raised no 
seed, but the crop used for that purpose is usually the sec-' 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 235 

ond, and it is not irrigated. The time required for curing 
depends on the stage at which the hay is cut, the dryness 
of the ground, etc. ; a good rule is to rake as soon as the 
rake will take it up clean, and let it cure in windrows or 
cocks. I use a "Landen" single pole stacker, with slings, 
which puts the hay, just as it laid on the wagon, in the 
center of the stack. The seed, threshed on an ordinary 
thresher, contains straw and chaff, which are easily taken 
out by running through ordinary wire screen-door net- 
ting, and then it is suitable for the ''Gaboon" seeder. On 
land worth $40 per acre, the hay in the stack costs $3 per 
ton. Baling costs $2 per ton, the best size being 100 or 
150 pounds in weight. Size does not affect the keeping 
quality of the hay. The hay has sold here for $6 to $12, 
averaging about $7.50, and the seed sold here last year 
for 9 cents per pound. I do not think the straw is of 
much value. Alfalfa will yield abundantly the second 
year, and, if harrowed with a good harrow, digging up 
the soil, it will yield for a very long period. Mine, which 
is 10 years old, looks as well as it did when two years 
old. To rid land of it, it would be well to plow when dry, 
then cross plow later on. On naturally damp bottom it is 
hard to kill. Cattle pastured on rank alfalfa in the spring 
are liable to bloat. 

Thomas C. Graham, Pinal county. — Though I have 
been familiar with alfalfa growing for 10 years, my first 
experience on a large scale was five years ago, when I 
seeded the Kenilworth farms, containing 900 acres. I 
was successful in securing a good stand on the entire 
tract. Some of the land is upland, with sandy loam soil, 
washed from the mountains, and various subsoils, hard- 



236 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

pan being, in places, only 10 inches below the surface; 
the remainder of the land is low, or bottom, with adobe 
soil. Well water is found at a depth of 95 feet, and the 
soil is dry from the surface to within a few feet of the 
water stratum. Before sowing, the surface soil is plowed 
and harrowed thoroughly; 20 pounds of seed is used to 
the acre, and covered not more than one-half inch deep. 
In our section, the best time for seeding is in September 
and October, and there is no danger from the winter frost. 
During the first season we cut twice or three times, to 
destroy all weeds, and obtain 23^ or 3 tons of hay per 
acre, but have never been able to get a paying crop of 
seed frorn the first season's cutting. For irrigation, we 
obtain water from the Gila and Salt rivers, but in some 
sections of our country water is pumped from wells by 
steam pumps. It has not been found practicable to lift 
the water from a greater depth than 50 feet for this pur- 
pose. The first year, as the land is very dry, it requires 
twice the quantity of water that is needed the second year 
and after. We flood the alfalfa five or six times a year — 
once in the fall, in the spring, and after each cutting, 
using water enough to cover the land to a depth of about 
one inch. We have no rain to amount to anything here, 
and depend entirely on irrigation. I think the ground 
should be prepared in the fall, and seeded in February or 
March, as, if seeded in the fall, the young plants might be 
liable to injury from frost. In all cases, the soil should be 
thoroughly prepared, and the seed not covered more than 
one-half inch deep. It is not uncommon to harvest six 
crops of alfalfa in a single season, and its feeding quali- 
ties are unequaled for cattle, horses, or swine. It is 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 237 

found, by careful tests, that alfalfa is 45 per cent better 
than clover and 65 per cent better than timothy for feed- 
ing farm animals. In my opinion, there is no other hay 
that will equal properly cured alfalfa. That grown with- 
out irrigation is much better, as it contains less sap and is 
not so stalky. The threshed hay is splendid feed for 
milch cows, and is sold here for the same price brought 
by the hay cut earlier. Last season I pastured 65 head 
of hogs on 10 acres of alfalfa, and they did well. In my 
experience, it is far better than clover, from the fact that 
it cannot be dislodged, the roots penetrating to a depth of 
10 to 20 feet. The pasturage is profitable and satisfac- 
tory for sheep and horses, and 45 per cent better for 
cattle than is clover. They will bloat sometimes, but if 
properly handled there is little danger. The best pre- 
ventive is to not allow the cattle to become too hungry. 
We get, on an average, three cuttings a year, averaging i 
to i^ tons per acre each, and have pasture for five or 
six months. For hay, we mow when in full bloom, rake 
as soon as possible, and let stand in windrows until the 
stems are about half dry; then put in the cock for two 
days, and stack in large ricks of about 80 to 100 tons 
each. If put up damp or green, it will mold. The seed 
is harvested, usually, from the second crop, when the 
pods turn black and can be shelled out by rubbing in the 
hand. It is cut, raked in windrows, and allowed to stand 
until thoroughly dry. I used, this season, a J. I. Case 
separator, and threshed and cleaned 6000 pounds of seed 
in three days. An ordinary yield is 100 pounds to the 
acre, and the cost of cutting and threshing is 3 cents a 
pound. The total cost of the hay in the stack is about 



238 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

$3 a ton on $50 land, with 15 cents an acre for irrigation. 
The average selling price for hay is $4 a ton, and for 
seed, 10 cents a pound. With proper care, alfalfa will 
last time without end, and improve each year, and it is 
difficult to kill it out, as it makes more or less seed every 
crop. An open soil, free from hardpan, is best for it. 

CALIFORXIA. 

Henry Miller, San Mateo county. — Since 1871, we 
have gradually increased our acreage of alfalfa, until we 
now have about 20,000 acres. This is on reclaimed 
swamp and upland, under a complete system of irriga- 
tion, with the exception of a little light, loamy soil, with 
water near the surface and no irrigation. On the latter 
ground the plant is short-lived, on account of the gophers. 
The depth at which well water is found varies from 10 
to 40 feet, and, with irrigation, it is immaterial whether 
the soil is naturally moist or dry. The preparation for 
seeding consists of deep plowing and cross plowing, and 
the depth for planting is not over two or three inches. 
For light, loamy soils, 12 pounds of seed to the acre is 
ample, while for hard, rough, new land, from 16 to 20 
pounds is required to insure a good stand. Seeding may 
be done here after the cold season, and when danger of 
heavy frost is past, but in time to take advantage of the 
spring rains, which are very essential. During the first 
season, the weeds should be mowed as they require it, 
without regard to returns of alfalfa, and after they are 
subdued it is well to let the first year's growth go to seed 
and allow it to be trampled into the soil by young stock, 
but if there is a full stand this is not necessary. We irri- 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 239 

gate from streams, applying water as soon as the spring 
opens and every time a crop is cut, the quantity of water 
needed depending on the quahty of the soil. Drainage 
is very necessary, especially when irrigation is done in 
warm weather. After the first irrigation, less water is 
needed at an application than at first. Winterkilling 
seems to be effectually prevented by watering in the fall. 
Alfalfa will attain its best state in three or four years, and 
its condition after that will depend upon its treatment. 
We put stock on our land generally after the first and 
second growth is cut, and the only rest the land receives 
is when it is being irrigated. After hay has been cut for 
several years, we harrow in the spring with a heavy har- 
row or disk cutter, and take the opportunity to reseed 
that which shows lack of vigor. The more sun and the 
less shade there is, the better the growth and the more 
satisfactory the yield. We find it more difficult to get a 
stand than to get rid of it ; but, in some instances, where 
we have wanted the land for orchard, vegetables, or root 
crops, we found several plowings would destroy it. With- 
out irrigation, we have not found the crop very profitable, 
but there are a few favored spots in the state where it 
can be grown without water; but when we plant we 
usually select such land as can be put under a perfect 
system of irrigation before using. Longevity of the 
plant depends on treatment and on the nature of the soil. 
On heavy adobe soil it will not live and thrive as long 
as on loamy soil, and on sandy, light soil it will be ot 
short duration without constant and judicious irrigation. 
After the first season, we make two cuttings a year, and 
consider two tons to the acre each time a good yield. For 



240 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

hay, we cut when the first crop is moderately ripe — say 
nearly in full bloom; the second crop and any later ones 
are cut when the bloom first shows; otherwise the lower 
leaves will drop off. The first crop is generally prefer- 
able for seed, provided butterflies and other insects have 
not injured the bloom, as they often do. If the second 
crop is used for seed, it should ripen longer than the first. 
The crop for seed is mowed, windrowed as soon as pos- 
sible, allowed to dry in that state, gathered with a hand 
fork, loaded on hay wagons, and put in stack as gently 
as possible. We find a good crop of seed a rare thing, 
but use the ordinary threshing outfit, and turn out 800 
to 1000 pounds a day, in rare instances double that quan- 
tity, with a cost for threshing and cleaning of about 5 
cents a pound. The hay we never put in barns, but stack 
in small, narrow ricks, to avoid danger of heating, endeav- 
oring to get it in the rick as dry as possible, gathering, in 
the forenoons to avoid shelling. When we use our own 
press and men, the cost of baling does not exceed $1 per 
ton. The weight of the bale depends on the kind of press 
used. An average, handy bale weighs about 150 to 175 
pounds, and we never have any trouble about the hay 
keeping perfectly in bales of that size. The average price 
per ton for hay in our San Francisco market is about $8 
to $10; of seed, by the ton, 8 to 12^ cents a pound, 10 
cents a pound being about the usual average price. For 
feeding farm animals, good, well-cured alfalfa hay is 
better than clover. For milch stock, especially, we con- 
sider it fully as good as any other hay. We find but little 
difference between the straw and the hay, and while all 
stock like the straw better, there is no doubt that the hay 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 241 

contains the more nutriment. Like all rank growths, 
alfalfa will produce double under irrigation, and the quan- 
tity will greatly overbalance any possible improvement in 
quality without irrigation, for I have found little differ- 
ence between that grown by irrigation and under natural 
moisture. For horses, there is no pasture better than the 
alfalfa; for sheep and cattle, it sometimes works injury 
by way of bloat, caused by too rapid grazing, especially 
when there is dew, thin cattle and young stock being most 
liable. Cattle in high condition and cows suckling or well 
forward in calf do not bloat. As preventive of the bloat, 
hay should be kept in the pasture where the stock can 
run to it, and a good supply of salt in troughs to which 
they have constant access. The plant will not stand 
trampling by stock unless the surface of the ground be 
entirely dry, and we do not allow sheep or cattle on the 
fields during certain stages of growth nor during certain 
states of the weather. We consider this pasture better 
than clover for swine, especially when the ground has a 
smooth surface, but if the soil is of a sandy nature, and 
allowed to dry, it is not so good. The capacity per acre 
depends on the nature of the soil, and the gain in weight 
made by the hogs depends on the breed and on the com- 
fort they have. We can raise hogs on alfalfa, and by 
feeding them two months on grain (say barley, wheat, 
or Egyptian corn) they will average, when lo months 
old, 250 pounds, gross. 

/. B. De Jarnette, Colusa county. — I have had 1 1 years' 
experience with alfalfa, and have about loo acres border- 
ing on the Sacramento river. The soil ranges in iepth 
from 10 to 20 feet, and rests on a clay subsoil, while 



242 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

water is reached at a depth of from 12 to 20 feet. In 
sinking two wells on my place, the soil was found as fol- 
lows: First 12 feet, decomposed vegetable matter; 4 feet 
of quicksand; 4 feet of clay loam; 4 feet of hardpan; 16 
feet of yellow clay; 6 feet of hardpan; 2 feet of black 
sand, and, at 48 feet, coarse gravel. The ground should 
be thoroughly pulverized — the finer the better — after 
plowing at least 12 inches deep, and then seeded with not 
less than 25 pounds of seed to the acre. I have had the 
best results from sowing in the early fall, immediately 
after the first rains, using the ''Gem" seeder, harrowing 
in with very light harrow, and rolling the ground well. 
The first crop is usually quite weedy, and of little value, 
but the second is better, producing about i Yz tons of hay 
to the acre, if the stand is good. Stock of all kinds should 
be kept off the first year. There is no danger here of 
winterkilling, and by the second year the full yield is real- 
ized.. The length of time the plant continues vigorous 
depends on the treatment. If pastured extensively, it will 
require to be reseeded in from five to eight years; but 
otherwise it may go considerably longer. I invariably 
obtain three crops a year, averaging per acre for the first 
23^, and for the others i^^ to 2 tons. I irrigate only in 
the winter, when the river is bank full and I can turn in 
water from it. Alfalfa produces the best results with 
irrigation after each cutting, and in that case there are 
five to seven cuttings obtainable, where with winter flood- 
ing I secure the three only. I mow for hay as soon as 
the bloom begins to develop, raking in the afternoon fol- 
lowing the morning cutting, commence hauling about the 
third day after, and then put in the barn with plenty of 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 243 

salt: The third crop is given the preference for seed, and 
is harvested when the plant is well matured. I let it cure 
in the windrows and haul to the thresher, handling as 
little as possible. The common yield of seed is from lOO 
pounds up, according to the stand. The cost of my hay, 
on land worth $100 to $150 per acre, does not exceed $2 
per ton, and it sells for from $5 to $8, while seed brings 
from 8 to 16 cents per pound. The hay after threshing 
is of but little value. The pasture is unquestionably the 
most profitable I have ever had any experience with, sup- 
porting more stock of any kind to the acre than any other 
forage plant. In early spring, cattle are liable to bloat 
on the rank alfalfa, but after the first of June I have had 
no trouble. There is no special difficulty in ridding land 
of the plant, and it is undoubtedly as good for fertilizing 
as Red clover. 

COLORADO. 

Jacob Downing, Arapahoe county. — I introduced alfal- 
fa into Colorado in 1862, and have between 500 and 700 
acres. It is on upland, clay, sandy and loam soil, with 
some adobe subsoil, but mostly sandy loam; it is gener- 
ally dry to sand rock, and then it is necessary to drill 50 
to 100 feet to get water. The plant will not thrive where 
there is hardpan, but will grow in any soil that is dry. Un- 
like most other forage plants it derives considerable nour- 
ishment from the air and water, though too much 
moisture will kill it. After deep plowing and thor- 
ough pulverizing of the soil, the land should be 
scraped thoroughly smooth, as this cannot be done 
after sowing, and is needed to make the mower 
work smoothly. I sow about 25 pounds to the acre, 
drilling in about two inches deep, 12^ pounds one way, 



244 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

and the other 12^ pounds across it, thus making an even 
stand. Prefer to sow in the spring, early. After the 
plant is eight inches high, it may be cut and used for feed, 
but is not very good. After this there will be no weeds. 
It matures in three years, and after that is good for seed. 
I have seen, near the city of Mexico, fields of alfalfa 300 
years old that had been constantly cropped and never 
reseeded. It will last 1000 years, and possibly forever. 
Irrigate from streams, as it is required; when there is a 
great deal of heat and wind, probably three times. The 
water must not run too long, or the plant will be killed, 
and the land should be kept as dry as possible during the 
winter, particularly in cold climates, as on wet soil alfalfa 
winterkills. Well water is better than the stream, pro- 
vided it is pumped into a reservoir and allowed to get 
warm. Water is brought from the streams by ditches. 
Less water can be used the first year than after the plant 
is matured. I am five miles west of Denver, and 500 
feet above the city, in warm valleys. With plenty of 
water, I can obtain three cuttings a year. Have raised 
as much as 3^ tons to the acre at one cutting, and my 
highest yield of seed per acre has been nine bushels. Hay 
is cut when the plant is in bloom, cured until it is dry to 
the touch of the hand. Stacking by hand makes the best 
hay, as machinery is likely to pack it in bunches, causing 
it to heat and become dusty. Hay in the stack costs 
about $1.50 per ton. Baling costs $2 per ton; 100-pound 
bales are well esteemed, but it is probable that large bales 
keep better than small, if properly cured. The seed pod 
•lassumes the form of a cornucopia, and, when the seed is 
fipe, it is of a rich brown or mahogany color. The first 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 245 

crop is preferable for seed, and should be cut and stacked 
as the hay is. It can be left and threshed when most con- 
venient, but the longer it remains in the stack the more 
easily it threshes. The ordinary threshing machine does 
for the alfalfa, but the seed must be fanned to be market- 
able. Six bushels is a common yield, and the cost of 
threshing and cleaning is probably 25 cents per bushel. 
The price of hay has ranged from $5 to $15 per ton, and 
of seed, from 8 to 20 cents per pound. The straw has 
almost no value, as it is cut up very fine, and can be used 
only where it is threshed ; if fed there, it is very fattening. 
For feeding horses for slow work, the hay is better than 
clover or timothy. For fattening purposes, it is the best 
in the world, for, while the animal lays on fat, it is never 
feverish, but always healthy. For pasturing cattle and 
.•^wine, alfalfa is superior to anything else, and, after it 
is mown, it makes very excellent feed for horses and 
sheep. If the alfalfa is wet, ruminants pastured on it 
bloat and die very quickly. It is not properly a pasture 
plant, and such animals should be kept away from it, 
but the hay, properly cured, is superior to any other food 
raised for fattening purposes. There is no difficulty in 
ridding land of the plant, as a good team and sharp plow 
will cut it out without any trouble. I have plowed fields 
of alfalfa under and put in oats, obtaining three or four 
times the usual yield, and have known of 50 bushels of 
wheat to the acre on broken alfalfa land. 

L. W. Markham, Proivers county. — I have had four 
years' experience with alfalfa. Have under my charge 
500 acres. It is on both second bottom and upland ; part 
has clay subsoil, other dark loam, and all has more or 



246 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

less sand. Water is reached at from 10 to 40 feet, and on 
land not irrigated the soil is dry all the way down to the 
water veins. The preferred time for sowing is either 
April I or August i. Have as good success right on the 
sod as on old land. If to raise seed only, 10 pounds is 
sufficient to the acre ; for hay, 20 pounds is not too much. 
Seed not more than two inches deep. About June 1 5 cut 
weeds and tops of young alfalfa, and then irrigate well, 
and you get one-half to one ton of hay in September. It 
is best to not try for seed the first year, but give all the 
strength to the roots. It does not winterkill here. We 
irrigate from the Arkansas river, and the number of irri- 
gations depends on the soil. The first year requires twice 
as much water as later ones. Usually three applications 
are needed : in early spring, mid-summer, and late fall. 
I have 160 acres not irrigated for three years. We have 
three cuttings, yielding i^^ to 2 tons per acre each. Cut 
for hay just when coming into full bloom, and stack in 
the field — never in barn — in long ricks, 12 feet wide 
by 80 to 120 feet long. It will not heat in the stack. Let 
all pods become dark brown or black before cutting for 
seed. The second crop is preferable, unless there is a 
large acreage, when I take one-half the first crop and one- 
half the second, in order to help the farmer out with 
work. Have men follow the machine closely, and cock 
up, to remain four or five days before stacking. Never 
cut for seed with a mowing machine, as you will lose one- 
third of the crop in trying to gather it. The cost of 
alfalfa in the stack is not over $2 at the outside. To bale 
— preferably in 80-pound bales — costs $1.50 per ton. An 
ordinary yield of seed is five bushels per acre. The cost 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 247 

for threshing is 60 cents per bushel. There is a special 
alfalfa huller, as even the ordinary clover huller is not a 
success. For a number of years the average price paid 
the farmer for alfalfa seed has been $4.50 per bushel, 
and hay in the stack has sold for $3.50 to $5. For feed- 
ing farm animals, alfalfa hay is far more valuable than 
timothy or clover. Horses will work and do well the 
year round on the first cutting of alfalfa, and no grain 
whatever. The pasturage for hogs and cattle is far bet- 
ter than clover, and is profitable and satisfactory for 
horses and sheep. I have 250 hogs now, and raise them 
to weigh 200 pounds on green alfalfa alone; turn the 
sows in the lot in early spring ; they raise their young, and 
I never bother them for eight months at a time, as they 
have plenty of alfalfa and water. Put cattle on the past- 
ure in early spring and let them run, and few, if any, 
will bloat ; but when they are not used to it, they eat too 
fast, or too much, and bloat. The hay is not so good 
after it is threshed as that cut earlier for hay alone, but 
the straw sells readily at $1.50 in the stack. The stand 
gets better every year for hay, and I know of fields in 
old Mexico 60 years old that have never been reseeded. 
There is no difficulty in ridding land of the plant if it is 
plowed under eight inches deep while green. It makes 
far better green manure than does red clover. On the 
same quarter section, wheat grown on old wheat land 
produced 20 bushels per acre, and that on broken alfalfa 
land 50 bushels per acre. 

CONNECTICUT. 

Dr. E. H. Jenkins, Director Connecticut experiment 
station. — Alfalfa has been tried in a haphazard way in 



248 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Connecticut for many years and scattered plants and 
colonies may often be seen in fence corners and headlands. 
Within five years, however, some farmers under direction 
of the agricultural station at New Haven, or on- their own 
initiative, have made more careful experiments and while 
failures are numerous, there are at present a number of 
small areas well established, yielding three or four cut- 
tings yearly and highly valued by their owners. On the 
farm of C. W. Beach of West Hartford, F. H. Stad- 
mueller had for seven years a considerable field of alfalfa 
which yielded well and was used as a soiling crop. Mr. 
Barnard of North Haven, after repeated failures, has a 
fine field and feeds it to both cows and poultry. The 
Gaylord Farm sanatorium at Wallingford, John Matthies 
of New Milford and others might be cited as successful 
growers of alfalfa. It does well on a variety of soils with 
us. Liming heavily, 1500 to 2000 pounds per acre, is a 
necessity. Some form of inoculation of the soil Is gen- 
erally required and clean, well-tilled land. Weeds are the 
worst enemy of the newly seeded alfalfa and easily smoth- 
er the crop. For that reason we prefer August seeding, 
using at least 30 pounds of clean, fresh seed. It will pay 
to fallow the land, in order to kill the weeds before seed- 
ing down. Thin spots cannot be successfully patched by 
seeding later. Great care in preparing the land pays with 
a permanent crop like alfalfa. 

DELAWARE. 

Dr. "Arthur T. Neale, Director Delazvare experiment 
station. — Twenty years ago, I drilled alfalfa In rows 18 
Inches apart, and cultivated at intervals of ten days until 
the crop occupied the ground, seeding late in March, say 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 249 

the 28th. The first cutting of nearly 8 tons of green 
forage per acre was made nine weeks later. Thereafter 
four additional cuttings were made that season, resulting 
in a total yield of 21 tons of green forage per acre. This 
plot remained in good profit, all told, for five years. An 
adjoining plot seeded broadcast, grew into a weed crop 
the first year, but during four succeeding years was in 
every respect the equal of its neighbor, the drilled plot. 
Twenty similar experiments made during that year in as 
many other sections of the state failed utterly. The dates 
of seeding were in every instance subsequent to March 28, 
but followed each other as rapidly as men could travel 
from point to point, drilling the seed on well and previ- 
ously prepared soil. Two years later nine similar failures 
resulted from spring seedings. Late summer is now the 
time most frequently selected for alfalfa seedings, but 
success is by no means invariably attained even then. 
Liming has been of service in one five-acre test con- 
ducted in Kent county, by W. H. Dickson in co-operation 
with this station. The third trial within four consecutive 
years appears at present to be a complete success. The 
first seeding gave a satisfactory stand, but the plants died 
late in the following spring. The ground v/as limed that 
summer, after thorough preparation of the seedbed. 
Nitro-cultures from federal sources were used upon por- 
tions of the seed, and 1000 pounds of soil per acre from a 
successful alfalfa plantation were applied to the other 
areas. This second seeding also failed. The five-acre 
plot was then plowed, wheat was drilled and a fair crop 
resulted. The wheat was harvested, lime was again used 
after the seedbed had bean prepared, and alfalfa seed sown 



250 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

as usual. The crop this year has exceeded anticipations. 
The check strip, to which no lime whatever has been ap- 
plied, but upon which nitro-cultures were used, carries 
no crop. It will be disked after the third cutting of alfalfa 
this year, well limed and again seeded. 

GEORGIA. 

Prof. R. J. Redding, Director Georgia experiment 
station. — This station has successfully cultivated alfalfa 
for 12 years, and we have never found it necessary to 
inoculate when we have sown the seed on rich, well pre- 
pared land. The plants at once became supplied with 
nitrogen tubercles and grew as luxuriantly as might be 
expected from the quality of the land. Our practice is to 
fertilize annually in January or February by sowing from 
800 to 1000 pounds of acid phosphate and one-fourth as 
much muriate of potash per acre. We run a cutaway 
harrow over the alfalfa two or three times in different 
directions. We then use a smoothing harrow and finally 
a heavy roller. This puts the land in good shape for the 
mowing machine and at the same time destroys weeds 
that come up during the fall and early winter. I believe 
that it is not desirable to continue land in alfalfa more 
than six or eight years, because of the impossibility of pre- 
venting infestation of weeds to such extent as to very 
greatly diminish the yield of alfalfa. We have a plot 
growing, that was sown about April 10, which seems to 
be as favorable a time as any, provided there shall be one 
or two good rains to give the young plants a start. The 
main factors in success are : First, a deep, well-prepared 
and well-drained soil, made very rich; and second, good 
seed, carefully sown and repeated mowings at the proper 
time. 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 25 1 

IDAHO. 

H. W. Kiefer, Bingham comity. — I have grown alfalfa 
in Idaho, under irrigation, for 12 years. Have 40 acres 
on second bottom, heavy clay soil for 12 feet. This sub- 
soil pulverizes by the action of the air, and will produce a 
good crop of small grain. Water is reached at 100 feet. 
The 12 feet of clay is dry ; the gravel and sand below are 
more or less moist till water is reached. Land having 
produced two successive crops of small grain is preferred 
for alfalfa. Sow 20 pounds, in the spring, and cover 
lightly with harrow, brush, or drag, or roll. The plants 
should be vigorous enough to choke out weeds. Amount 
of hay obtained the first year is governed by conditions 
and treatment. When sudden freezing and thawing 
occur, it is liable to winterkill. The frequency of our 
irrigation is governed by the rainfall, but is usually done 
when the ground is dry, without regard to stage of 
growth, allowing the water to run until the soil is wet the 
depth of a spade ; usually average two irrigations to each 
cutting. Our supply of water comes from Snake river 
and tributaries, which furnish sufficient for the Snake 
river valley. Have noticed no difference in amount of 
water required during first or later years, except as 
affected by the amount of rainfall. We get three cut- 
tings, averaging about five tons for the season, cutting 
for hay when in bloom, and for seed when seed is 
matured, which generally requires the entire season to 
mature in this locality. The seed crop should be handled 
as little as possible, to avoid loss of seed. Alfalfa should 
cure at least two days, and, if dry, will not mold in stack. 
The cost of alfalfa hay, if irrigated, is about $2 per ton. 



2^2 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Cost of baling, $1.75 per ton, in bales weighing 75 to 100 
pounds, the keeping being governed more by the solidity 
than size of bale. During the past six years, hay has 
averaged about $4 per ton, in the stack, and seed about 8 
cents per pound. Alfalfa makes satisfactory pasturage 
for sheep and horses. Cattle are liable to bloat, but, if 
taken in time, may be relieved with a gag, and by exercise, 
which will cause the gases to escape ; the knife is used as 
a last resort. The straw from which seed has been 
threshed has about the same value as green oat straw. 
The various soils here appear equally favorable to longev- 
ity. Usually the third year gives about the best yield. 
If not damaged by freezing, it will not need reseeding 
for 10 or 15 years. We have no trouble in ridding land 
of alfalfa. We cut a hay crop, and plow under, for spring 
wheat, with good results. Our best alfalfa land is clay, 
which requires moisture, artificial or natural. Our best 
yields have been six tons per acre for the season. The 
feeding qualitites of the hay have been well established. 
James Otterson, Logan county. — Have had 12 years' 
experience growing alfalfa on sagebrush land, that will 
grow nothing but sagebrush without irrigation. It is 
fine, sandy loam, extending down 6 to 10 feet, where 
lava is encountered, which is from i to 100 feet deep. 
The soil is dry until water is struck, which is at a depth 
of from 100 to 200 feet. There is no water in the soil. 
When preparing for alfalfa, we plow well, level the 
ground, and sow 15 to 20 pounds of seed per acre, and 
harrow lightly, or brush it in. Sow as early as the ground 
can be worked — about March i. The first crop, if prop- 
erly handled, will yield from three to five tons per acre; 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 253 

it will have more or less sunflowers, which are a protec- 
tion while the plant is getting a start. It seldom winter- 
kills. We irrigate by flooding the ground twice each sea- 
son from a stream. After the first year, three cuttings are 
had; 2^ tons per acre the first; i^ to 2 the second; and 
one ton per acre the third. Cut for hay as soon as well 
blossomed. It grows too rank here for seed. Hay should 
cure in from one to two days, and, if properly cured, 
stack as other hay. Alfalfa costs, in stack, $3 per ton. 
The size of bales is immaterial, except in fitting cars. 
Prices for hay have ranged from $5 to $10 per ton; for 
seed, from 7 to 15 cents per pound. It is the best hay in 
use for farm animals. Horses will thrive on it without 
grain, if properly handled. For swine pasture it is far 
ahead of clover. It is satisfactory for sheep. In some 
localities it will cause cattle to bloat ; as a preventive, feed 
well with dry hay before turning them on the pasture. 
Deep soil is the best for the long life of the plant. The 
second year it is at its best, and, if properly handled, and 
does not winterkill, will last for all time. It is much bet- 
ter than Red clover for green manure. 

ILLINOIS. 

Prof. C. G. Hopkins, 'Agronomist Illinois experiment 
station. — Alfalfa is being introduced into Illinois to a 
considerable extent. Very careful and somewhat exten- 
sive investigations conducted by the experiment station, 
beginning in 1901, have positively established the fact that 
alfalfa can be grown in this state on several of our most 
abundant types of soil. As a rule, it is markedly advan- 
tageous to thoroughly inoculate the soil with alfalfa bac- 



254 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

teria, preferably by taking infected soil from a well-estab- 
lished alfalfa field, where root tubercles are found in 
abundance or from land where Sweet clover (melilotus), 
has been growing successfully for several years. Infected 
Sweet clover soil serves just as well as infected alfalfa 
soil for the inoculation of alfalfa fields. As a rule, the 
best results are secured from summer seeding. The land 
should be thoroughly prepared and made as free from 
weeds and foul grass as possible and then seeded between 
June 15 and August 15, if the conditions are favorable. 
Under exceptional conditions good results are obtained 
from earlier and later seeding. Three cuttings are usually 
Obtained in the northern part of the state and four in the 
southern part. The average yield is five or six tons per 
acre. A liberal use of farm manure in getting the alfalfa 
started is advantageous and on some soils the application 
of lime is necessary in order to correct the acidity of the 
soil. As a rule, the yield is increased by adding to the 
soil some form of phosphorus. A yield of 8^ tons of 
thoroughly air-dry hay has been obtained where a special 
effort has been made to make the conditions favorable. 

INDIANA. 

C M. Ginther, Wayne county writes in Orange Judd 
Farmer, July 8, 1905 : "Up to last year there had not 
been half a dozen attempts to grow alfalfa in Wayne 
county, not because there was no desire on the part of 
the farmers to raise the crop, but because the farmers 
knew absolutely nothing about the methods to pursue in 
order to get a fair stand. Last year, however, a number 
of agriculturists in the county determined to try the crop. 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 255 

A mile west of Richmond lies the farm of J. H. Hollings- 
worth, a well-known farmer, whose practical ideas about 
farming have given him a local reputation. He is an 
advocate of intensive farming and cultivates his crops in 
the most thorough manner. He keeps a herd of dairy 
cattle and in his search for more economical food than mill 
stuffs and clover hay, he decided to try alfalfa and feed 
it with a ration of corn meal. He had a tract of five 
acres. This land was a clay loam with a good mixture 
of sand. It was not underdrained, and Mr. Hollingsworth 
believes the result would have been better had there been 
a thorough system of underdrainage. The soil is what 
is known here as sugar tree land. About May i of last 
year, the tract was plowed moderately and then rolled. 
During the previous winter a heavy top-dressing of barn- 
yard manure had been applied to two acres for the pur- 
pose of comparison. One week later the roller was run 
over it again. After this the ground was thoroughly torn 
up with a two-horse cultivator. This was for the purpose 
of killing the weeds, which had been given time to take 
a start. After the cultivator had thoroughly torn up the 
ground, the field was harrowed twice both ways. It was 
then rolled, and pronounced in first-class condition. The 
weeds had succumbed to these repeated attacks and but 
very few appeared in the crop later. This thorough prep- 
aration of the ground is absolutely necessary for the suc- 
cessful starting of alfalfa. It is a fastidious plant, re- 
quiring the most favorable surroundings in its early life, 
but gradually grows quite robust and strong. Its early 
weeks seem to be the critical time in Its life, and if it can 



256 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

once be started well its thrifty nature will assert itself 
and it will grow with amazing rapidity. On June 1 1 the 
seed was planted. It was sown broadcast and harrowed 
in lightly. One hundred pounds pure alfalfa seed were 
sown, which was 20 pounds to the acre. The experience 
of many others is that 1 5 pounds per acre is better. The 
seed was first treated with bacteria, procured from the 
department of agriculture at Washington, and when the 
seeds were thoroughly dry, they were planted. Exactly 
five weeks after the seed was planted, the crop was i foot 
high and covered the ground everywhere. On that day 
it was clipped first and later given two more clippings 
during the season. The effect of the clipping was to cause 
the crop to become more stocky, and spread out more 
over the ground. None of the crop was removed from 
the soil last year, the three clippings being allowed to 
remain about the roots as a mulch. This was regarded as 
highly important and its effect was noticeable in the per- 
fect manner in which the crop passed through the win- 
ter. Early this spring it started to grow and on April 18 
the plants averaged 12 inches high all over the tract. Mr 
Hollingsworth is a firm believer in the efficacy of the bac- 
terial treatment of the seed before planting. He attrib- 
utes the wonderful growth of this crop to the effect of the 
organisms produced by inoculation. It is interesting to 
note the effect of the top-dressing which was applied to 
two acres of the tract. The crop on that part of the 
ground is larger and more luxuriant than the part that 
received no dressing. The crop all over the tract appears 
vigorous and healthy, but the two acres show a decided 
improvement and superiority." 




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The cable is supported by poles at the ends, and these in turn by guy ropes. 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 257 

IOWA. 

Prof. M. L. Bozvman, Department Farm Crops, Iowa 
experiment station. — We are receiving very good results 
from the alfalfa which is being grown at this station, mak- 
ing from three to four cuttings each season with the yield 
ranging from 4 to 7 tons to the acre. From one field, 
seeded in August, 1905, the first cutting was taken June 
II, 1906, and yielded 2,17 tons per acre. Two other cut- 
tings were made. We believe alfalfa is sure to become 
one of Iowa's great crops as desirable results are being 
obtained in many parts of the state where land is prop- 
erly seeded. We take great pains to see that the ground 
is in good physical condition and that the seed is sown 
in late summer, some time between August 5 and 15, so 
that the young plants will make sufficient growth to with- 
stand the winter. If the seeding takes place in the fall, 
the alfalfa plants will not make sufficient growth to with- 
stand the winter. Alfalfa should not be pastured the first 
season. The growth from seeding time until winter sets 
in should be 6 to 8 inches and should be left on the ground 
for winter protection. A nurse crop should not be used. 
Alfalfa will not do well on low, wet ground, but must 
have land that is well drained. In the northern parts of 
the state it may be sown in the spring, and in this case 
desirable results have been secured by using a nurse crop. 
If oats are used at all, they should be an early variety. 
Wheat or barley is much better. They are not so likely 
to lodge. If the nurse crop is heavy, a poor stand of 
alfalfa is almost sure to follow. Not more than one-half 
the usual amount of grain should be sown to the acre. 
Better results may be expected if no nurse crop is used. 



258 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

In this case, it will be necessary for the weeds to be mowed 
down two or three times during the summer, so that the 
alfalfa will not be choked out. It is better to sow in the 
spring- than late in the fall. Late summer seeding is 
the best. The following year it will be freer from weeds 
and have a better stand than that which was sown the 
spring before. Cornstalk ground which was well ma- 
nured the year before for corn is generally used for spring 
seeding. The stalks should first be removed. The field 
may then be thoroughly disked and harrowed. The 
seed should be sown about the middle of April. 

KANSAS. 

C. D. Perry, Clark county. — In 1887, I sowed 200 
acres of alfalfa, and now have 270 acres. This is nearly 
all on second bottom land, with black, sandy loam, black 
sand, and gumbo. The land is largely "made" land, 
about 6 to 12 feet of good soil, with gumbo only on 
top for 12 or 14 inches. On the heavy land the dry soil 
begins at the top, and, at the breaking of the sod, extended 
down eight or nine feet. Water is found at a depth of 12 
to 21 feet. We irrigate most of our crop from the Cimar- 
ron river. The first time the land is watered it takes from 
two to five times as much water as is required later, and 
now we find the best results are obtained by watering 
about 10 days before cutting, using three or four inches 
of water. There is no damage by frost, except on low, 
wet land. Without irrigation, I should double plow the 
ground before seeding, having one plow follow the other 
in the same furrow, and going as deep as possible. Seed 
by drilling one-half to one inch deep, 10 pounds to the 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 259 

acre for seed, 20 pounds for hay, and 30 pounds for past- 
ure, usually about March 15 here. We mow the weeds 
the first year before they seed, leaving them on the 
ground. After this, there will be a yield of three-fourths 
to two tons of hay, or one to six bushels of seed to the 
acre, depending on the season. In two or three years the 
plant is at its best, and does not seem to need reseeding 
after that. We have from three to five crops a year 
depending on promptness in watering and cutting. Any 
later cutting is better than the first for seed, and, 
before cutting, two-thirds of the seed pods should be 
black. We mow, then rake and cock at once, stacking as 
soon as well cured. Hay should be cut when it is coming 
into bloom. To make good hay, let it lie for half a day 
(if dry weather), then rake and cock, and let cure thor- 
oughly. We stack in long ricks, and it keeps well. The 
alfalfa land is valued at $50 an acre, and the four irriga- 
tions cost 25 cents each ; the estimated cost of the alfalfa 
in the stack is $2.15 a ton. An average yield of seed is 
three bushels to the acre, and the cost of threshing and 
cleaning it is 80 cents a bushel. Hay has sold for $5 a 
ton, and seed for 6, 8 and 10 cents a pound. The threshed 
hay is not so good as that cut earlier, but cattle eat it all 
clean. The pasture is excellent for horses, hogs, and 
cattle. If the alfalfa is wet, it is liable to cause bloating 
with sheep; for cattle, there is not much danger, except 
for the first few days they are turned on. If the animal 
is seen in time, it may be relieved by driving around, but 
if too bad to be helped in that way, it needs the trocar. I 
have had 50 hogs on six acres of pasture this summer, 
and have 50 pigs, 3 to 12 weeks old; used two bushels 



26o THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

of ground wheat and barley each day, and think I could 
have had as many more hogs on the pasture. The sod is 
very hard to plow, but it can be killed. On a piece of hog 
pasture plowed under, I raised 70 bushels of barley to the 
acre. My alfalfa seems to do the best on black, sandy 
land and on gumbo, with sand or open subsoil below. 

/. R. Blackshere, Chase county. — I began with alfalfa 
in 1875, by sowing i^ bushels of seed bought in San 
Francisco, at the rate of $21 per bushel. As the germi- 
nation was defective, or the seed grown so far away was 
not adapted to our soil or climatic conditions, a good 
stand was not at first obtained, but I now have 700 acres 
on Cottonwood river bottom land, having a clay sub- 
soil underlaid by a layer of sand 20 feet below, and with 
a good portion of gumbo, where the best alfalfa grows. 
The soil is not especially moist until water, 20 to 30 feet 
below, is reached. My best results have been obtained 
on corn land, cutting across the rows with a disk harrow, 
leveling with a plank drag, and sowing, after danger of 
freezing is past, 20 pounds of seed per acre with a disk 
having seeder attachment, being sure to have all the seed 
covered. I cut the weeds off with a mower, and leave 
them on the ground. After the first year my average 
product annually for 10 or 12 years has been about five 
tons per acre. That permitted to ripen seed yields three 
to five bushels per acre. I do not irrigate. The plant 
will thrive on upland having a clay subsoil without a 
stratum of hardpan. Grazed closely late in the fall, it is 
liable to die out in a dry winter. 

Benj, Brozvn, Osborne county. — I have had four years' 
experience with alfalfa growing in this country, and have 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 261 

also grown it in England, without any irrigation, and 
now have 45 acres. The land is bottom rising to second 
bottom, with vegetable loam and some gumbo in the 
upper portion, and loam subsoil, similar to surface, but 
somewhat paler, for 15 feet down. Well water is found 
by digging 11 to 22 feet through the soil, which is 
usually moist except in dry weather, when the upper two 
or three feet are not. It has been found best to plow six 
inches deep, in August or September ; to roll or level with 
a heavy float about April 15, then harrow, and broadcast 
25 pounds (or drill 20 pounds) of seed to the acre. I 
broadcast all of mine, and harrow and roll or level. The 
best time for sowing here is April 14 to 30, as it almost 
invariably rains here about April 20, and frosts have 
never hurt my crop, nor does it winterkill. Mow first 
when the weeds are six to nine inches high, and, if worth 
hauling, stack ; if not, let lie ; generally mow again about 
July 4 to 20, and stack ; there may be one-fourth to one- 
half ton of hay per acre. The second season we cut 
three times, unless we ripen seed, and obtain from one- 
fourth to one ton each cutting; after this it grows about 
a foot high by October. For hay, mow as soon as 
about half full of flowers, rake the same morning, 
and haul in one or two days, as the leaves fall if 
dry. It does not heat nor mold here if the sap is half 
out and the straw long; I use the "Acme" hay har- 
vester, making stacks with rounded ends, nine steps 
long by five wide, and top out with straw or hay, taking 
care to keep the middle well filled. The total cost of hay 
in stack is about $1.50 per ton, the land being valued at 
$15 per acre, or $60 with a good stand of alfalfa. The 



262 THE BOOK. OF ALFALFA 

hay has sold for $4 to $6 per ton during the past four 
years. The best crop for seed depends on the weather; 
sometimes the first flowers set best, and again the later 
ones do better; on my bottom land the plant grows too 
large for seed, unless in a dry time. If seed is ripe, cut 
only while damp or in the early morning, rake into rows 
immediately or early the next morning, haul with a 
"Monarch" rake, and use a stacker. Last year and year 
before I obtained four bushels of seed to the acre, and it 
cost me 60 cents per bushel for cleaning. Used ordinary 
threshing outfit, and set hind end of thresher 10 inches 
lower than front. The seed has sold here during four 
)'^ears for $5 to $8 per bushel. Horses and sheep should 
not be pastured on the alfalfa, as it pays to mow and haul 
it to them, either green or dry. It makes good pasturage 
for cattle, but they must not be turned on when the ground 
is frozen, nor when they are hungry, as it is necessary to 
start them gradually to avoid bloating. Mine never 
have bloated, and I feed milch cows in the early spring 
and on the fourth crop in the fall. Alfalfa ripened and 
threshed has little value, as it breaks up into dust and 
chaff. My stand improved every year; was about at its 
best the sixth year, and continues about the same for an 
indefinite time. If it gets a fair start, and is cut three 
times, a good stand can be kept ; but if it is pastured, and 
the weeds are not eaten, it is apt to thin itself. A neigh- 
bor plowed under alfalfa for green manure, but the next 
year it grew up as thick and strong as if not plowed. 
We do not need manure here. I have seen several pieces 
of fairly good alfalfa on high prairie, with some gumbo 
in the soil, but it grows best where the subsoil is fairly 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 263 

open. Upland is generally best for seed, as the plants 
should grow only one to two feet high, and mine on the 
bottom grows 2 to 33^ after the second year. I think 
there is no other crop here to compare with alfalfa. My 
third year's crop cleared me over $20 per acre. I have 
known of nine bushels of seed on one acre, and have 
heard of 15 in this county. My bottom lands will grow 
three good crops of hay almost without rain, and kill out 
all the weeds. 

KENTUCKY. 

Prof. H. Garman, Botanist Kentucky experiment sta- 
tion. — We have grown alfalfa on the experiment farm 
for a good many years and have been impressed with 
its many good qualities, although we have not found it 
as well adapted to our soil and climate as it appears to 
be in the western states. In our small experimental plots, 
on good soil, it has recently done remarkably well. This 
is partly the result of understanding it better than for- 
merly, and partly due to the care which these plots re- 
ceive. Last year we harvested, from some of them, hay 
at the rate of from 6.32 to 10.03 tons per acre. The 
same plots are yielding very well this season, but I think 
will not produce quite as much hay as last year, though 
they look very well at present. Farmers in this state are 
becoming interested in alfalfa, stimulated by the reports 
made to them at farmers' institutes, and urged by faliure 
to grow Red clover successfully in some parts of the state. 
But thus far they have not met with uniform success. 
Part of this is due to a lack of acquaintance with the 
plant and part may be attributed to our climate. A few 



264 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

men have been growing alfalfa successfully for eight or 
10 years, and I can see no reason why many others 
should not succeed with it. The chief difficulty appears 
to come in getting a start. Alfalfa, thoroughly started, 
holds its own better than Red clover and yields much 
more forage. The value of the forage is recognized by 
everybody, and I expect to see in the course of the next 
quarter of a century a much larger acreage sown in Ken- 
tucky. 

LOUISIANA. 

Prof. W. R. Dodson, Director Louisiana experiment 
station. — Alfalfa has been grown by the Louisiana sta- 
tions since 1887. At the time the stations were estab- 
lished there was little or no alfalfa grown in the state. 
From the very first experiments conducted by Dr. W. C. 
Stubbs, it was apparent that the plant was well suited 
to the alluvial lands of the Mississippi and Red rivers. 
Dr. Stubbs never lost an opportunity to advocate its cul- 
ture, and the great progress made in securing its exten- 
sive cultivation is largely due to his efforts. Alfalfa is 
now extensively grown in the Red river bottoms, and a 
very large percentage of the sugar planters grow it for 
soiling and for hay for the plantation mules. We get 
from four to seven cuttings per year. The average is 
about i>4 tons for the first three cuttings, but less for the 
last cuttings. The station one year secured a harvest of 12 
tons of cured hay per acre ; six tons in a season is a good 
yield. Were it not that one or more of these cuttings will 
fall due during a rainy season, when it is difficult to cure 
hay, we would go into the business very extensively in 
this state. As to the quality of the hay or forage, there 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 265 

is no question about its place at the head of the list of 
desirable forage crops. The sugar planters find it espe- 
cially desirable to mix with their cheap molasses, as the 
former is rich in protein and the latter rich in carbohy- 
drates. In the southern portion of the state best results 
are secured by planting in the fall. In the northern por- 
tion good results are secured from early spring planting. 
We use from 25 to 30 pounds of seed to the acre. Some 
planters use more than this. Land that is least suited for 
growing corn in Louisiana, because of its stiffness, is the 
very best land for alfalfa. Where the crop has once been 
used and the local supply runs short, it is shipped in from 
Colorado to supply the demand. It is selling now for $15 
a ton. No better testimonial need be given of the people's 
estimate of its value. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Prof. William P. Brooks, Director Hatch experiment 
station. — Our experiments with alfalfa have been con- 
tinued both upon our own grounds and those of a few 
selected farms in different parts of the state. We are 
bringing to bear upon these experiments information in 
regard to successful methods from every possible source. 
We find in all cases a distinct benefit from a heavy initial 
application of lime. We have used from 2,000 to 3,000 
pounds per acre. We are enriching soils already natur- 
ally good by heavy applications both of manures and fer- 
tilizers, using materials which experience has proved best. 
We are also giving the soil a most thorough preparatory 
tillage. It has usually been fall-plowed, and in addition 
it is plowed in the spring, and repeatedly harrowed to 
destroy weeds which start in the early part of the season. 



266 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

We have tried inoculating the soil, both with earth ob- 
tained from a field in New York, where alfalfa is suc- 
cessfully grown, and with the cultures sent out by the 
department of agriculture and prepared by private firms. 
We have not attained such degree of success as justifies 
us in recommending the crop. We have occasionally got 
a fair stand of alfalfa, but in all cases the winters prove 
more or less injurious. In the course of a few years the 
alfalfa is mostly crowded out by grasses and clovers. The 
alfalfa almost every year suffers from leaf spot, which 
tends to cut down the yield. We have found a very dis- 
tinct benefit from the inoculation with earth from the 
New York alfalfa field. We have not found an equally 
distinct benefit to follow inoculation with any of the cul- 
tures; and, although we are not as yet ready to make 
a final report, it should be here remarked that the most 
careful experiments on the use of these cultures in steril- 
ized soils, under conditions calculated to give accurate 
results, indicate that they have little, if any, value. In our 
various experiments alfalfa has been tried on a wide 
variety of soils. We have had a quarter of an acre field 
upon a coarse-textured soil upon a farm in this neighbor- 
hood where there is never any standing water within 50 
to 60 feet of the surface. Even on this soil the alfalfa, 
although it did fairly well for a year, has been injured 
by successive winters, until it is at the present time almost 
ruined. In this connection I call attention further to the 
fact that D. S. Bliss of the department of agriculture, 
who has been making special efforts to promote the intro- 
duction of alfalfa into New England, and who has trav- 
eled extensively for the purpose of studying the results ob- 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 267 

talned, now speaks very discouragingly as to the outlook 
in general. In conclusion, while we are not inclined to 
discourage experiments with alfalfa, we do wish most 
emphatically to caution against engaging in these experi- 
ments upon an extended scale, for we feel that disappoint- 
ment is almost inevitable. 

ancHiGAN. 

Prof. C. D. Smith, Director Michigan experiment 
station. — Alfalfa has had and is having a checkered 
career. Under favorable conditions it makes a good 
stand. Some fields have produced crops for many years, 
the ground being occasionally fertilized by manurial salts. 
The difficulties that environ the crop are : ( i ) the severe 
winters, which sometimes kill ofif whole fields, leaving 
scarcely a root alive; this has happened to fields two, 
three, or four years old. (2) The Blue grass crowds 
it out badly; (3) the ignorance of the farmers in regard 
to the requirements of the crop and the consequent im- 
perfect preparation of the soil in the matter of tillage 
or fertilization, has made it difficult to introduce it in a 
broad way. Notwithstanding these difficulties and the 
farther consideration that alfalfa does not easily lend 
itself to a short rotation, the crop is advancing in the state 
by leaps and bounds. Hundreds of farmers are experi- 
menting with it and are learning how to prepare the 
ground, sow it and care for the crop afterwards. Statis- 
tics are not at hand to show how many acres of alfalfa 
there are in the state, nor can definite figures be given as 
to the growth of interest in the crop and its actual acre- 
age. When proper strains have been developed, it seems 



268 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

fair to presume that alfalfa will be one of the staple crops 
in Michigan. On the station grounds at the agricultural 
college fields of alfalfa have been continuously maintained 
from 1897 to 1904. There are fields here sown in 1903 
bearing their three crops each year, yielding from 5 to 
7 tons of dry hay annually per acre. There has been some 
difficulty in getting pure and vigorous seed. 

MINNESOTA. 

Prof. W. M. Liggett, Director Minnesota experiment 
station. — Our experience with alfalfa has extended over 
12 or 15 years. In the early days of this station, it was 
not very successfully grown. During the past eight or 
10 years, however, the changes in soil due to manures and 
cultivation and the discovery of several varieties of alfalfa 
which appear to be hardy, have made it possible to grow it 
successfully in nearly every part of the state. For the past 
five years we have cut three crops of alfalfa hay, yielding 
from 4 to 5^ tons per acre each year. With the land 
properly prepared and some attention given to seeding 
at the right time, there is no difficulty in growing it on 
the state farm. Occasionally it will winterkill. We were 
unfortunate enough to have a heavy, driving rain during 
March of the present year which froze as it fell and 
smothered the alfalfa crop. We are not discouraged, 
however, as the clover crop in southeastern Minnesota 
was killed at the same time and from the same cause. We 
regard alfalfa just as sure as Red clover. It is sometimes 
a little difficult to get a stand under careless methods of 
farming. With the land nicely prepared and with a 
good supply of humus in such condition that the plant 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 269 

food is readily available, strong, vigorous growth and a 
good stand can be secured during any normal year. We 
have alfalfa growing at the northwest sub-station at 
Crookston, and in several localities in the northwestern 
part of the state, where even clover is not supposed to 
grow. The outlook at the present time for this crop is 
very bright. Dairymen, swine raisers and sheep men unite 
in praising its merits as stock food. 

MISSOURI. 

Prof. M. F. Miller, 'Agronomist, Missouri experiment 
station. — Alfalfa is being grown with success on various 
types of soil, although many soils are not well adapted 
to its growth. A knowledge of the peculiarities of the 
plant will ultimately make it possible to extend its culture 
to most soil types of the state. Liberal manuring is the 
key to successful culture on upland soils. The manure 
may be applied before plowing and also as frequent top- 
dressings. The value of the crop as a feed and its high 
yield, where favorable conditions are supplied, make it 
a particularly desirable one to grow, at least in small areas, 
on farms where mixed farming or dairy farming is prac- 
ticed. While alfalfa makes a most nutritious pasture 
crop, it does not lend itself well to pasturing unless certain 
precautions are taken. Where it is grown for hay, diffi- 
culty is often experienced in harvesting the first, and some- 
times other cuttings, on account of wet weather. The silo 
may be used in such cases. The stiff subsoils of the state 
are responsible for most failures reported, because it re- 
quires some knowledge of the methods of handling the 
crop to make it succeed under such conditions. Alfalfa 



270 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

is not adapted to our soils, liming, manuring or drainage 
being necessary to prepare such for the crop. If sown on 
upland soils that have never grown alfalfa or Sweet 
clover, it is benefited by inoculation. On bottom land? 
or lands that are very fertile, inoculation has little or no 
effect. The surest and often the simplest means of inocu- 
lation is by means of inoculated soil. The cultures pre- 
pared for seed inoculation have in many cases given ex- 
cellent results, but they are still in the experimental stage 
and some skill is required to handle them properly. The 
best preparation of the seedbed is that which allows of an 
early plowing and the use of a harrow every time a crust 
forms or weeds start before time to sow the seed. The 
seedbed should be much like that for wheat — ^loose above 
but firm below. The best time to sow in this state is be- 
tween the middle of August and the middle of September, 
the last week in August usually giving best results. The 
amount of seed to sow is between 15 and 20 pounds, de- 
pending upon the quality and the character of the soil. 
It is best sown without a nurse crop. It must be clipped 
frequently the first and sometimes the second season, espe- 
cially on soils to which it is not well adapted. It should 
usually be cut when the lower leaves begin to turn yellow. 

MONTANA. 

Alfred Rasicot, Deer Lodge county. — Alfalfa is the 
most valuable crop that is raised in Idaho or Utah for 
hay, growing on any kind of land butithat which is low 
and wet, yielding five to seven tons of hay to the acre, 
and providing excellent feed for all kinds of farm ani- 
mals. For about 20 years I have grown from 20 to 50 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 2/1 

acres on second bottom and upland of heavy clay soil, 
with gravel below and water at a depth varying from i6 
to I GO feet on different localities. We irrigate from 
streams, flooding the land and turning the water off as 
soon as the land has been all covered, applying once for 
the first cutting and twice for each succeeding cutting, 
whenever the ground is dry. The first year on new land 
requires fully one-third more water than is needed after- 
ward. Before seeding, the ground should be mellow, 
then harrowed with the back part of the harrow or 
brushed, and seeded with 15 to 20 pounds to the acre, 
between the first and middle of April. The plant will 
usually run out the weeds, and on that account no special 
treatment is needed. The first season will produce a small 
crop of hay, but no good seed. Unless water is allowed 
to freeze on the land, alfalfa does not winterkill here, 
and at two or three years of age it is at its best, continu- 
ing vigorous for 10, 20 or 30 years without seeding. 
The first cutting of the season yields about 23^ to 3 tons 
to the acre, the second about 2 to 2^, and the third i to 
13^ tons. The hay is cut when the plant has been in 
bloom 8 or 10 days, allowed to lie for 24 to 36 hours, 
and treated as Red clover is. The second crop is always 
the best for seed here. The cost in the stack, on $25 
land, irrigation costing 50 to 75 cents an acre, is $2 a ton. 
To put this into 100-pound bales costs $2.50 a ton. On 
the ground it sells for $3 to $5 a ton, while the seed 
brings $3, $4 and $5 a bushel. An ordinary yield of 
seed is 300 pounds to the acre, and this is threshed with 
the same machine used for grain, at a cost of about one- 
fourth of the seed. The straw is worth about one-fourth 



272 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

as mucn as the hay. We consider alfalfa hay, for cattle, 
sheep, and hogs, far superior to clover, but for horses 
timothy is best. It will keep steers and sheep fat all win- 
ter, providing they are under shelter, and is excellent for 
milch cows. The pasture for swine and cattle is far bet- 
ter than clover, and for work horses and sheep it is good, 
but not the best for horses that are driven fast. Cattle 
will bloat about as they do on Red clover when turned 
onto it after rain, dew, or frost. To rid land of a stand 
of alfalfa is very difficult, requiring four stout horses 
with a very sharp plow to turn it over, but as a green 
manure it has about the same effect as Red clover, pro- 
ducing two or three extra crops afterwards. 

NEBRASKA. 

Olmstead & Olmstead, Furnas county. — Alfalfa, while 
excellent for all other stock, is pre-eminently the feed 
for hogs. Its early appearance, its wonderfully rapid 
growth, its nutritious properties, its perennial nature 
(keeping green until about December), its resistance to 
drought, its wonderful fecundity, and, lastly, its adaptabil- 
ity as a dry feed, make it, in our opinion, the most profit- 
able crop than can be grown. Ten acres of alfalfa will 
pasture 150 head of hogs, and give them abundance. 
From the 15th of March, or at most not later than the 
iSth of April, hogs and cattle can be turned on pasture, 
and kept there until snow flies. On first bottoms, six 
tons per acre can be depended upon as a fair, average 
yield, while many fields this year have made as high as 
eight. On divide, or high land, where it has been tested 
for three years, it averages about two to four tons per 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES • 273 

acre, but this land gives the best returns for seed, not 
growing too rank. Since we have been investigating 
and gathering information on this subject, we have 
had reported to us a yield as high as eight bushels of seed 
per acre, and quite a number as high as nine, and some 
eleven. Six bushels an acre on a good stand is an average 
yield, while some will fall below that. The seed has 
never sold here below $4 per bushel. Last year and this, 
all seed grown in this part of the country sold readily at 
$5 per bushel, and for the next five years will probably 
not go lower than $3. One crop of seed and two of hay 
are the average on low land, and one crop less of hay 
on high land. The threshed hay is nearly as good for 
feed as the unthreshed. There is no waste in feeding this 
hay, and horses are especially fond of the coarse stems. 
It stands our winters remarkably well, so far, coming 
through in excellent condition. There is no stock but eats 
alfalfa hay as well or better than clover or timothy. 
Young colts and calves will v/inter in fine condition on 
this hay, with little or no grain. If the last cutting is 
allowed to stand, with a growth from six to eight inches, 
horses and cattle will graze on it through the winter,- the 
same as on Red clover, doing equally as well. Now, as 
to the other side. Will this clover grow in all latitudes 
and longitudes as well as Red clover? We think it 
doubtful. It requires a dry, porous soil, in which thera 
is no hardpan nor too much clay, and it does not like too 
much water. It does well where the soil is somewhat 
sandy, its roots penetrating to a depth of from 15 to 25 
(feet, thus drawing its nutrition from various strata of 
soil. What else against it ? If cattle are turned on after 



274 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

a rain, when it is wet, or dew is on, they often bloat and 
die ; but if turned on in the spring, and kept on continu- 
ously, have Httle danger of gorging themselves or bloat- 
ing. No other stock is adversely affected by it. This is 
all that can be honestly said against alfalfa, and this is 
obviated by a little care by the farmer, while the many 
good things said about it must certainly recommend it to 
the intelligent husbandman. Thus we can enumerate: 
First, its certainty as a crop ; second, its enormous yield ; 
third, its excellent pasturage qualities; fourth, its nutri- 
tious qualities, being equally good green or dry; fifth, 
its yield and price of seed, which is threshed with an 
ordinary grain separator; sixth, its tremendously rapid 
growth during the summer season. There are many more 
attributes that can be credited to alfalfa. 

W. O. Thompson, Lincoln county. — I have had 20 
years' experience with alfalfa, on second bottom and 
upland. The upland has a clay subsoil; the second 
bottom soil is three feet deep, underlaid with a bed of 
sand and gravel. Abundant water is found from 8 to 
23 feet from the surface. If dry soil is found, it is the 
first three feet below the surface. Land should be tilled 
several years before seeding, in order to perfectly subdue 
the sod. Use about 16 pounds of seed per acre, and pre- 
pare the ground the same as for wheat, sowing in the 
spring. The first crop will be nearly all weeds; cut and 
haul these off the ground. The second crop will produce 
about one ton of hay per acre. Alfalfa is liable to winter- 
kill if the winter is warm and dry. I irrigate from a 
stream two or three times during the season, with suffi- 
cient water to flood all the ground. The first year the 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 275 

ground is soft and porous, and twice the water is required 
as in the following years. From three to four crops are 
raised during the season, yielding from i^ to 2 tons 
each cutting, or from five to six tons per acre in one sea- 
son. Cut when in bloom for hay, and let the seed ripen 
before cutting for seed, using either the first or second 
crop for this seed. When cutting for seed, it should be 
pitched out of the way of the mower after each round; 
then let it dry before stacking, but not enough for the 
leaves to fall off when handled. Stack in the ordinary 
way, but be sure the hay is thoroughly dry in the shock 
before stacking. It is more liable to get moldy in the 
barn than in the stack. About $2 per ton will cover all 
expenses of raising, on land worth $50 per acre. The 
expense of baling is about $1.50 per ton, 100-pound bales 
being preferred. It should not be baled until perfectly 
dry in the stack. About six bushels per acre is the aver- 
age yield of seed, and it costs about 75 cents per bushel 
to thresh and clean. A clover huller is the most satis- 
factory for threshing alfalfa. The hay has sold here at 
$3 to $10 per ton, averaging $6. The seed has brought 
from $3 to $10 per bushel, averaging $5. One acre 
of alfalfa will raise 35 hogs, with the aid of a little grain. 
Horses thrive on it, but it is unsafe for sheep and cattle. 
Animals which chew the cud will bloat if pastured on 
alfalfa. The only way to prevent it is to keep them from 
the pasture. The best way to cure it is to insert a tube into 
the paunch, to allow the gas to escape. As to the longev- 
ity of the plant, I call to mind a patch sown in 1873, on 
upland, and it is still growing. Alfalfa attains its best 
growth in about two years. I do not think it can 



2^6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

be profitably raised on high, arid ground, without irriga- 
tion. Hogs can be wintered on alfalfa hay and a very 
little grain, and cattle can be fattened for the home mar- 
ket, but it produces softer flesh, and they could not be 
shipped a great distance in the best condition. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Prof. Frederick W. Taylor, Agriculturist New Hamp- 
shire experiment station. — We have tried to secure a 
stand of alfalfa for four consecutive seasons, but so far 
our efforts have been unsuccessful. Various types of soil, 
from a heavy boulder clay to a light sandy loam, have 
been tried, and, contrary to our expectations, the most 
promising crop was on the heavy clay soil. Our chief 
difficulty has been in having the alfalfa keep ahead of the 
weeds and in getting a uniform catch that would with- 
stand our winters. From one-fourth to one-half of the 
plants have usually wintered over in good condition and 
made a vigorous growth the next season, but there has 
not been enough of them to say that we have made a 
success with alfalfa. We have largely eliminated the seed 
question by plowing the ground early and keeping it har- 
rowed until about the middle of July, when it is sown. 
Our experience seems to indicate that an application of 
lime is beneficial, if not absolutely necessary, in this sec- 
tion and we have accordingly been using it at the rate of 
a ton to the acre. We have also tried inoculation with 
the various cultures, but in no case have any benefits been 
observed. So far as we know, there have been no suc- 
cessful attempts to grow alfalfa on a medium or large 
scale in this state, although several farmers in the Connec- 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 2// 

ticut river valley have reported success on some areas of 
an acre or less. When we more thoroughly understand 
the plant, and the conditions necessary for its growth, we 
believe it can be grown upon some of our soils. 

NEW JERSEY. 

Dr. E. B. Voorhees, Director New Jersey experiment 
station. — The farmers of the state have manifested much 
interest in the growing of alfalfa, and many experimental 
plots have been seeded in the past two or three years. In 
order to obtain accurate information as to the methods 
employed, and the results obtained, a circular letter was 
sent out during the past summer to 140 growers. De- 
tailed replies were obtained from loi growers. Of these 
there were 57 distributed over 15 counties, which showed 
the successful establishment of the crop. The soils upon 
which these successful crops are growing vary widely, 
both in their physical and chemical character, ranging 
from a light, sandy loam, with sandy subsoil, to a medium 
heavy clay, with compact clay subsoil, which indicates 
clearly that success does not depend so much upon the 
character of the soil as upon the methods of seeding, fer- 
tilization and after-treatment, though the most successful 
stands were, as a rule, obtained upon sandy soils, over- 
lying a reasonably open subsoil. Twenty-seven growers 
had a more or less satisfactory experience, while 17 were 
absolute failures. A study of the reports of failures 
shows that in most instances they were due to lack of ob- 
servation of the methods recommended for the seeding 
and care of the crop, which experience at the station 
showed to be essential for success. In most cases the 



278 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

land was imperfectly prepared; in many an insufficient 
amount of fertilizer or manure was applied. In many 
cases, too little seed was used ; in others the date of seed- 
ing was contrary to all recommendations, or the crop was 
not clipped often, and thus choked out by weeds. In 
many instances, where lime had not been used for many 
years,none was applied at the time of seeding. In the 
case of those having more or less success, the recom- 
mendations were not fully observed or soil conditions 
were imperfect. 

D. C. Leivis of Middlesex county, in the summer of 
1903 seeded about i 1-4 acres with alfalfa, observing 
closely all of the recommendations of the experiment sta- 
tion in reference to seeding, but did not inoculate the soil. 
The seed germinated well, and the crop grew nicely dur- 
ing the fall, but entirely disappeared later. In 1904, the 
same area, after an oat crop was grown, was seeded again, 
on August 10. The soil is a clay loam, with a clay sub- 
soil, and in a good state of fertility. The land had been 
previously in grass and corn. The corn was manured 
and the alfalfa area well limed previous to seeding in 
1903. The seed was at the rate of about 25 pounds, and 
at time of seeding 800 pounds of Mapes' fertilizer and an 
extra bag of high-grade sulphate of potash were applied, 
and the field was inoculated with about 300 pounds of soil, 
taken from the old alfalfa patch at the experiment station. 
The seed germinated well, and made a rapid and large fall 
growth and passed the winter successfully. The yield per 
acre was about three tons of hay for the first cutting. 
This experiment is strikingly suggestive in showing the 
importance of soil inoculation, for while inoculation is not 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 279 

apparently essential in all cases, it would seem that where 
soils have not been heavily manured that this point should 
be carefully observed. 

/. P. Nelson of Monmouth county has had a very suc- 
cessful experience in the growth of alfalfa, since he has 
observed all of the recommendations made as to methods 
of seeding and after-treatment. The following is a de- 
scription of his method and the results obtained from a 
seeding made August lo, 1904. The surface soil is a 
medium clay loam, underlaid with a gravelly clay subsoil. 
The crops preceding were grass and corn, and the manures 
used were barnyard manure and 600 pounds per acre of 
ground bone. The corn preceding the alfalfa was limed 
at the rate of 1,000 pounds per acre, and 1,400 pounds per 
acre were applied just previous to the seeding of alfalfa. 
Thirty pounds of seed were used per acre, and lightly 
harrowed in and the land rolled. The germination and 
early growth were good, and the first crop was harvested 
June I, 1905. The yield was two big, two-horse loads of 
cured hay per acre. 

E. T. Gill of Camden county has a sandy loam, under- 
laid by a subsoil varying from sand to clay. He has an 
area of 24 acres, ranging from two to six years in age. 
The first seeding of about two acres is still growing 
profitable crops, though not uniform in stand. The later 
seedings show an excellent stand and large and profitable 
crops are annually harvested. Usually four cuts are 
made each year, which are used both for soiling and for 
hay, with splendid results. The practice on this farm is 
to top-dress with manure during the winter at the rate of 
about eight tons per acre. Mr. Gill's experience leads 



280 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

him to believe that the stand is often injured, particularly 
during the first year, by allowing the crop to reach too 
great maturity and then cutting when the plants are just 
beginning to bloom, and leaving a stubble of at least three 
inches. Mr. Gill did not inoculate the seed or soil at 
his first seeding, but did follow this practice with recent 
seedings, and believes it to be a wise precaution, especial- 
ly on soils that have not been previously heavily manured. 

NEW MEXICO. 

Thomas J. Clark, Grant county. — I have had 15 years' 
experience with alfalfa on first and second bottom land 
with gravel soil, dry to within four feet of water, which 
is reached at a depth of 15 feet. I irrigate from the Gila 
river, and my alfalfa, which is 14 years old, is as good 
to-day as at any time since it was sown. The seed is 
sown as turnip seed is. I plow the land thoroughly, har- 
row it over smoothly, then sow the seed in March, and 
harrow lightly once. Then the water is turned on, and 
the ground will remain moist until the seeds sprout. 
After the alfalfa is six inches high, I cut it to make it 
spread and destroy all the large weeds ; and there may be 
two cuttings of hay that same season. Water will not 
injure the plant unless it stands on it in low places. Stag- 
nant water standing on the plant, or mineral water so 
near the surface that the roots reach it, will kill the plant, 
but it is not liable to injury from winter frost. After the 
first season there are three or four crops, the first being 
usually chosen for seed and not irrigated. For hay it 
Is cut when in full bloom, and, if the sun is shining, 
should cure 24 hours if in June, or 20 in July or August, 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 28l 

before raking, and then 30 hours in the cock. It must 
be thoroughly cured before stacking, and then will not 
mold. The most convenient bales weigh 90 to 100 
pounds, and the cost of preparing them is $2 a ton. The 
total cost of hay in the stack is about $3 a ton, and the 
average yield about three tons to the acre each year. 
When the burs turn brown the seed is harvested, and 
when well cured should be stacked in a dry place. An 
average yield is 500 to 600 pounds to the acre, and it 
sells for $4 a bushel. The hay makes excellent feed for 
farm animals, keeping them in good condition the year 
around without grain. The alfalfa pasturage is better 
for swine and cattle than clover, and yields more largely ; 
sheep may be kept on it to advantage also. A good acre 
will keep five grown hogs in excellent condition, but will 
not make them fat. If they are taken up in October and 
fed about 40 days on grain, they will be marketable. 
Cattle on the pasture sometimes bloat, but I have had 
100 head of cows and calves on mine for two months, 
and have had no trouble. The irrigated alfalfa is better 
than that grown on land that requires no water. The 
straw is about equal to oat straw, but not half so good 
as the alfalfa hay. To rid land of the plant requires a 
strong team and a sharp lo-inch plow. The roots rot at 
once after plowing, and the land is well fertilized for 
other crops. In my opinion, alfalfa is the best forage 
plant known in this western country. It is most easily 
raised, produces the largest yield, commands the best 
price, and can be planted at any time from March to Sep- 
tember. Land seeded to it is the most valuable, and the 
farmer who has plenty of it is the most prosperous. 



282 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

Farming here cannot be a success without it, and I take 
pleasure in recommending it to my brother farmers. 
It will lie dormant all summer if it is dry, and with fall 
rains revive and make good pasture. It is the earliest 
plant up in the spring, and the last to stay green in the 
fall. In other words, it is the best of all. 

Hartman & Weil, San Miguel county. — We have been 
dealers in alfalfa hay for eight years, and have some 
small fields of our own. This is on both bottom and 
upland. In the bottom, the subsoil is sand and bowlders ; 
on the upland, stiff bluish clay, and in some places blue 
limestone. Well water is reached on the bottom land 
at a depth of 8 to 10 feet, through soil moist all the way; 
on the upland, it is necessary to dig 60 to 100 feet, and, 
beginning two to four feet from the surface, the ground 
is dry. When seed is planted in the spring, the soil 
should be well pulverized, moist, and warm, that the seed 
may germinate quickly. It should not be put in deeper 
than i>2 inches, and may be planted in May or June, or 
any time in the spring after the soil becomes warm. In 
our climate, it is best to sow about 30 pounds of good 
seed to the acre, besides just enough oats to shade the 
ground and protect the young alfalfa from the hot sun. 
Once well started, it will kill out all weeds, and does not 
winterkill here. We irrigate from streams. Alfalfa 
should not be irrigated when quite young, for, if the 
small plant is covered with soil, when watered, it will 
not come up again, but, after it gets a good start, it is 
not easily killed. There should be about two irrigations 
to each crop harvested, or, ordinarily, six in a season. 
The heavier the stand the more water is needed. We 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 283 

have three cuttings, yielding about 3000 pounds of cured 
hay per acre per cutting. When the plant is fairly well 
in bloom, it is cut, and is best when cured under large 
sheds or in the shade. If left until dry where cut, the 
foliage will fall off and pulverize. It is best to stack in 
narrow ricks, as it is liable to heat if put in large stacks, 
and it should be salted liberally when stacked. The last 
cutting is preferred for seed, which is mowed when most 
of the pods are well matured ; In this case only two crops 
should be cut during the year. The straw makes good 
feed for stock in winter, having about half the value of 
the hay. Each irrigation costs about 50 cents per acre, 
and the total cost of hay in the stack is about $3.50 per 
ton. Baling costs $1.25 per ton, with 50 cents additional 
for wire. The common yield of seed is 6 to 10 bushels 
from the acre. "Reeves" clover huller will thresh about 
12 bushels per hour. The price of hay, baled, in New 
Mexico has averaged about $8 per ton for the past eight 
years, and seed for the same time about $5 per bushel. 
Our experience indicates that alfalfa hay is a more nutri- 
tious food for farm animals than either clover or timothy. 
We have found nothing better to feed cattle for market ; 
it makes good, solid beef, and they take on fat very fast. 
The pasturage is excellent for swine, horses, and cattle. 
If overfed, animals will sometimes bloat on rank alfalfa, 
especially if unaccustomed to it. About the third year 
from seeding, the plant has acquired its best yield. It is dif- 
ficult to rid land of it, as plowing under is sometimes bene- 
ficial, making it come up thicker than before. Success 
with it on high prairies depends upon the precipitation 
during the growing season. We think four inches of 



284 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

rainfall during the time of its growth would make a fair 
crop of hay; or 8 to 12 inches from May to September, 
for two or three cuttings. 

NEW YORK. 

Isaac Zoller, Montgomery county, writes in a recent ar- 
ticle in American Agriculturist'. "In the spring of 
1889, 1 sowed my first ten acres of alfalfa. The field was 
reseeded for the second time in April, 1905. I now have 
25 acres. The land was plowed in the fall after being 
manured. In the spring, generally during the last two 
weeks of April, the surface for five or six inches is made 
extra fine and 25 to 30 pounds of the best seed is sown 
with three pecks of oats as a nurse crop. By June i the 
oats are cut three inches above ground and again every 
four weeks during the first season. The following June 
during the third week the first crop is cut, usually yield- 
ing about three tons. The second cutting generally 
comes during the last week in July when i 1-2 tons is an 
average. By September, the third cutting is made, but I 
generally let sheep browse it, but not very close or after it 
is frozen. The season of 1905 it was cut and allowed to 
wilt, raked with a side delivery rake, allowed to lie a 
couple of hours, then rolled over with the rake and drawn 
to the barn. Formerly I used to shock it and allow it to 
sweat, but this is too much work. I feed it to sheep and 
find it equal, if not superior to Red clover. To be at its 
best it must be cut when about one-tenth of the blossoms 
are out. The soil in which my alfalfa grows is a heavy, 
clay loam and rolling, but is underdrained. The soil 
here is apt to heave three or four inches during winter 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 285 

and injure clever. But where properly drained, this 
does not occur on alfalfa fields. I am certain alfalfa can 
be more extensively and economically grown here." 
H. B. Fullerton, Long Island. — As an experiment, an 
acre of scrub-oak, waste land was cleared and the brush 
and stumps burned in November, 1905. About 2CXX) 
pounds of wood ashes were applied and turned under at 
once. In early April about ten tons of manure was ap- 
plied so that each quarter acre would have about 2,500 
pounds. Three weeks later 400 pounds of kainit was 
applied and ten days later 200 pounds of Canada wood 
ashes. Since the soil, when tested, still showed acidity, 
about 400 pounds more of ashes were spread, chiefly be- 
cause of its high percentage of vegetable lime, 40 per cent. 
The lime of ashes on Long Island soils is considered su- 
perior to that of stone or shells. Early in June the test 
acre, being considered ready, was finally prepared and 
sown to alfalfa in two directions crosswise over each 
quarter acre. In less than a week the plants appeared 
evenly on all four plots. Showery weather continued 
from before seeding until well into June. One of the 
quarter acre plots sown with a dressing of 150 pounds of 
soil from an old alfalfa field at Fayetteville, N. Y. early 
took the lead in color and vigor and about six weeks from 
sowing could be readily distinguished at a distance by the 
richness of its foliage. It was also in flower before the 
other plots, one of which was uninoculated, the other two 
sown with inoculated seed. Unfavorable weather pre- 
vented cutting until mid-August when all four plots were 
cut, the few large weeds were removed and the alfalfa 
weighed. The plot inoculated with alfalfa soil yielded 



2S6 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

1673 green pounds which cured to 701 dry; the uninocu- 
lated plot yielded 726 green and 313 dry, the other two 
plots sown with inoculated seed 416 and 377 pounds green 
or 189 and 168 pounds dry respectively. These results 
point favorably to inoculating the soil from old alfalfa 
fields. 

NORTH CAROLINA. 

Dr. B. W. Kilgore, Director North Carolina experi- 
ment station. — Alfalfa has been grown in a small way in 
this state, particularly in the section around Hillsboro, 
for 75 to 100 years. The soil there has become well in- 
oculated and there are some small areas of good alfalfa 
grown there. There has been for a number of years past 
considerable interest in the production of this crop, but 
its cultivation has not been very successful. On our ex- 
periment farms in different sections of the state it has 
done reasonably well, and there have been put out quite 
a large number of small areas during the last few years, 
which give hopes of success with the crop. When some 
further details regarding the time and method for seeding 
and treatment, especially to prevent crab-grass and weeds 
from getting the upper hand of the crop during the sum- 
mer have been worked out, we believe that alfalfa will be 
grown to quite a large extent and be a most valuable addi- 
tion to our present forage crops. 

NORTH DAKOTA. 

Prof. J. H. Shepperd, Dean of the North Dakota Ag- 
ricultural college. — Alfalfa has not been given a thorough 
trial by the people of North Dakota, but the results se- 
cured by the experiment station indicate that it is capable 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 287 

of producing paying crops here. It will yield two or 
more tons of hay per acre annually and will, when sown 
on well drained land, continue to live from year to year 
as it does in old alfalfa districts. A little growth should 
be allowed to stand through the winter season to protect 
the roots by catching a covering of snow over the entire 
field. Our people are thoroughly awakened and en- 
couraged by the results secured at the experiment station, 
and its growth is likely to soon be a common practice in 
the state. 

OHIO. 

Prof. Charles E. Thome, Director Ohio experiment 
station. — Numerous attempts were made during the lat- 
ter half of the nineteenth century to grow alfalfa in Ohio, 
but so far as the knowledge of the writer goes, that of 
Joseph E. Wing of Mechanicsburg was the first that 
could be pronounced a decided success. Mr. Wing had 
seen the plant growing in the arid region of the West, and 
was fortunately able to make his initial experiments on 
the soil formed from the decomposing limestone gravels 
of Champaign county, a soil possessing three of the in- 
dispensable requisites for alfalfa culture. Plenty of lime, 
plenty of humus and good drainage. Other farmers 
during recent years have attempted the culture of this 
plant, and where experiments have been conducted upon 
suitable soils and carried out with sufficient care and per- 
sistence, they have been successful. Thus far the most 
promising alfalfa fields in the state are to be found either 
in such localities as those of Mr. Wing, namely upon the 
soils underlaid with limestone gravel which are found 
over the western half of the state, or upon such of the 



288 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

river bottom lands of the state as are above overflow and 
are underlaid with gravel, giving" natural drainage. The 
experience of Ohio growers of alfalfa has demonstrated 
the following points : ( i ) Alfalfa must have lime. If 
the soil is naturally deficient 1n this substance it must be 
added artificially. (2) Alfalfa must have humus. It 
is idle to attempt to grow it upon a soil which has been 
worn so thin that it will not grow a good crop of corn. 
Such soils must be manured before they will successfully 
produce alfalfa. In this respect it is very different from 
the plant which it so closely resembles in habit of growth, 
Sweet clover. (3) Alfalfa will not grow with wet feet, 
yet it is a great consumer of water, and the soil must be of 
such a character as to hold large stores of water without 
being water logged. Hence the value of bottom lands 
naturally underdrained by strata of gravel a few feet be- 
low the surface. (4) When lime, humus and drainage 
are supplied, the bacterial organisms through which at- 
mospheric nitrogen is assimilated will gradually appear 
upon the alfalfa roots, but their growth may be hastened 
by inoculating the land with soil from a field in which 
alfalfa or Sweet clover has previously grown. The ex- 
periment station has been most successful in getting a 
stand of alfalfa where the land was thoroughly prepared 
in the spring and then harrowed every week or ten days 
until July or August. The seed was then sown and 
harrowed in. By this means the weed seeds were germ- 
inated and destroyed before the alfalfa was sown. 

OREGON 

George IV. Dunn, Jackson county. — For eight years I 
have grown 60 acres of alfalfa on bottom land with 






I.- . 



/,'• 









, ^i 









Sweet Clover {Melilotus alba.) 

The seed of Sweet clover is an occasional adulterant of alfalfa. The plant is much taller 

than any of the species of Medicago. The flowers are white and 

borne in rows on elongated flower stems. 




Yellow Trefoil {Medicago hipiilina) 

A common adulterant of alfalfa. The leaflets are broader and more clover-like than 

alfalfa. The flowers are yellow and sparsely scattered in small, hop-like 

clusters at tips of long flower-stems. 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 289 

granite loam soil, gravelly and sandy. The plant does 
not grow well unless the soil is deep and well drained, 
and will not grow where there is a clay subsoil or stag- 
nant water. Well water is reached at a depth of lo to 12 
feet, and the soil, unless cultivated or irrigated, becomes 
dry and hard in the summer. As soon as the heavy frosts 
in the spring are over, seed may be put in, alter thorough, 
deep plowing and pulverizing. I always sow broadcast, 
20 to 25 pounds to the acre, then harrow in and clod- 
mash or roll. Water for irrigation is obtained from 
streams, and it should be applied as quickly as possible, 
the best way being to flood the whole field for a few 
days, and then take all the water off, as standing water 
will kill the plant quicker than anything else. The quan- 
tity of water needed the first and later years does not 
seem to differ materially. As soon as the young alfalfa 
is high enough, it should be mowed. This kills the weeds, 
and gives better chance for growth. Then I cut for hay, 
but it does not pay much the first year. If land is well 
drained, the plant lives through the winter easily, and by 
the second or third year is at its best. In ground adapted 
to its growth, it is almost everlasting, unless killed by 
gophers or hogs. After the first season, there are three 
or four cuttings, averaging each from one to three tons 
to the acre. For hay, I cut as soon as it begins to bloom 
freely, ordinarily raking the next day, and cocking the 
third, in this dry atmosphere. The stack does not shed 
water well, and the best plan is to put in a good barn. 
The hay bales well, and the size of bale is simply a matter 
of opinion or convenience, there being no difference in 
the keeping quality. The second crop is the one for seed. 



290 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

as the first always contains more or less foul stuff, and 
the third will not mature seed. I dispose of hay at from 
$4 to $10 a ton — the same price as other hay in the same 
market — and it is in great demand for milch cows. The 
seed costs me from 10 to 16 cents a pound. The straw 
makes good feed, but of course is not so good as the 
hay. For feeding farm animals, alfalfa is superior to 
clover or timothy. We produce as fine beef here, by feed- 
ing alfalfa alone, as can be done in Kansas or elsewhere 
by feeding ordinary hay and corn. The pasturage is 
profitable and satisfactory for horses and sheep, and for 
hogs it is unsurpassed — they will grow and fatten on it 
without other food. Cattle on the pasture sometimes 
bloat, but not when they are used to it, or when it is dry. 
I keep about 150 head, and in eight years have lost but 
two. The roots will grow to, but not into, water, and 
thrive in deep gravelly or sandy soil. The plant sends 
down a large, straight taproot, which, as it approaches 
water, branches and spreads out into numerous small 
rootlets. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Prof. George C. Watson, Director Pennsylvania ex- 
periment station. — During the past five or six years the 
experiment station has received many letters requesting 
information pertaining to the growth and cultivation of 
alfalfa. From these communications it has been learned 
that many farmers have attempted to grow alfalfa on land 
that IS not at all well suited for this purpose, and conse- 
quently, many failures have resulted. The first attempts 
to grow alfalfa were made wholly by spring seeding, 
which, in most instances, has proved quite unsatisfactory. 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 29I 

As alfalfa starts slowly and exists as a small plant for a 
considerable length of time, the weeds have an abundant 
opportunity to germinate and outgrow the more deHcate 
alfalfa plants. Whatever conditions favor the growth of 
weeds, particularly in the early part of the growing sea- 
son, materially increase the risk of failure with alfalfa. 
Largely on account of the weeds and grass, late in sum- 
mer or fall seeding has been most satisfactory. While a 
drouth at this time may seriously interfere with germina- 
tion, yet the injury from insufficient moisture is not like- 
ly to be so great as that from a rank growth of weeds 
earlier in the season. Land that has been cultivated for 
a few weeks during the summer may be sown to alfalfa in 
August or September with comparatively little danger 
from annual weeds, which are so troublesome in spring 
seeding. Land that is infested with noxious perennial 
weeds and grass would not, of course, be in suitable con- 
dition for seeding after a few weeks of cultivation, no 
matter how thorough it may be. The most tenacious 
grasses and weeds, like Canada thistles and quack grass, 
should be given at least a few months of thorough cul- 
tivation before seeding. Experiments indicate that al- 
falfa will not survive continued alternate freezing and 
thawing if the soil contains very much moisture. Land 
that is at all inclined to "heave" is not suited for the 
growth of this crop. The soil of the station farm, upon 
which most of these experiments have been made, is a 
porous limestone clay underlaid with limestone rocks 
which afford abundant drainage through the fissures. 
Notwithstanding the fact that the soil is naturally well 
drained, in some places it seems to hold too much water 



292 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

to afford a most congenial home for alfalfa. This crop 
will endure severe freezing, provided the soil is sufficient- 
ly dry so that it has no tendency to "heave." Land upon 
which clover will "heave" undoubtedly contains too much 
moisture for alfalfa. It seems to be able to endure the 
rigors of winter better than clover, provided the moisture 
conditions are favorable. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

Dr, H. J. Wheeler, Director Rhode Island experiment 
station. — Alfalfa culture in Rhode Island is a very uncer- 
tain undertaking. A few persons have occasionally met 
with some success, but the majority of experiments have 
been failures because: (i) Most of the soil in this 
state is too deficient in carbonate of lime to enable alfalfa 
to succeed even if other conditions are favorable. (2) 
It is occasionally almost destroyed by clover leaf spot. 
(3) The general culture of alfalfa in this state cannot 
be made successful even if all of the conditions aside from 
the climate are made favorable. Farther north where the 
snow falls before the ground freezes and remains until 
the opening of spring, this plant can be grown success- 
fully. Farther south where the changes are less severe, 
the same is true. In Colorado and other places where 
irrigation is practiced, if it is desired to get rid of a field 
of alfalfa, the ground is flooded after it is frozen and the 
freezing of water over the surface accomplishes what is 
desired. In Rhode Island it not infrequently happens 
that we have in winter a considerable fall of snow. A 
warm southeasterly rain may fall which transforms it 
very shortly into slush. In a few hours the temperature 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 293 

may drop to zero or below. Sometimes rain which falls 
freezes over the surface, forming a solid coating. These 
conditions in this state destroy the alfalfa just as the 
flooding does it in the West, and while alfalfa may be 
carried successfully through the winter, if the season is 
favorable, I believe the chances are too great to make it a 
promising crop. Last winter we carried some through 
successfully and have done so once or twice before, but 
my advice to Rhode Island farmers is to grow the clovers, 
soy beans, and possibly cowpeas rather than attempt to 
embark in growing alfalfa until it has been definitely 
shown by experiment that the climate and other condi- 
tions can be successfully combated. 

SOUTH CAROLINA. 

Prof. C. L. Newman, Agriculturist South Carolina 
experiment station. — We have, to some extent, had re- 
markable success with alfalfa. On the old exposition 
grounds at Charleston, over six tons of cured hay were 
cut last year on one acre. This year one cutting afford- 
ed 4515 pounds of cured hay. In the upper portion of 
the state, alfalfa is grown with considerably greater dif- 
ficulty. At Anderson, the county seat of Anderson 
county, there is an alfalfa field that was sown 65 years 
ago and it still affords some return. 

SOUTH DAKOTA. 

Prof. James W. Wilson, Director South Dakota ex- 
periment station. — Experience shows that a good stand 
of alfalfa can be secured, if ordinary care be exercised in 
preparing the seedbed. It is not a plant that does well 
when sowed on the native prairie sod after disking. On 



294 THE-BOOK OF ALFALFA 

the college farm during the spring of 1904 a small area 
of native sod was disked five times; part was sowed to 
alfalfa and part to clover. The next spring only a few 
scattering plants of alfalfa could be found, while a fair 
stand of clover was secured. Good results have been ob- 
tained with both the Turkestan and the American varie- 
ties. Neither has winterkilled during the time, and the 
yield per acre in each case has been good. A field sowed 
to Turkestan alfalfa in 1899 at Highmore Forage testing 
station still produces good yields. The quantity of seed 
to sow per acre depends largely on the way it is sowed, 
requiring more if broadcast than when drilled. We sug- 
gest 20 pounds when drilled and 25 pounds when sown 
broadcast. The time to sow depends upon the con- 
dition of soil. The soil must be warm and in good con- 
dition of tilth. Contrary to what is sometimes supposed, 
alfalfa does not require a wet soil, but one that is well 
drained, with a loose subsoil. The plants will stand cut- 
ting several times during the first year. This method 
should be resorted to when sown on a field badly infested 
with weeds, in order to secure a stand of alfalfa. In 1902 
a field, rented by the college farm, which had been 
cropped for several years and become foul with mustard, 
was sowed to alfalfa. It was cut three times during the 
growing season, and the result was that in 1903 there was 
practically no mustard to be seen, but a first class stand of 
alfalfa was obtained. 

George E. McEathron of Beadle county writes: "I 
consider alfalfa and clover culture practicable in this lo- 
cality. I do not think it necessary to inoculate soil for 
these crops in South Dakota. After the first year I cut 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 295 

my alfalfa fields three times and secured an average yield 
of five tons to the acre. I have never allowed seed to 
mature, always cutting for hay. No trouble from winter- 
killing has been noticed." 

0. S. Jones of Lake county writes : "I began raising 
alfalfa on my place two miles west of Madison five years 
ago. The soil is a dark loam with some sand in it, lays 
level and has a sand and gravel subsoil. Water is ob- 
tained at a depth of eight to ten feet. I have used both 
the Turkestan and the common alfalfa, and I consider the 
latter the better for my land, as it grows ranker, with 
more leaf and better color than the former. I have had 
the best success in sowing about the first of May, with- 
out a nurse crop. On one four-acre piece seeded three 
years ago, I pastured 150 to 175 head of hogs and spring 
pigs for two months this year and also cut between 15 
and 16 tons of hay in two cuttings. I sowed 12 acres this 
year in two six-acre fields, that has been pastured, con- 
tinually, with 175 head of hogs and pigs and ten head of 
young cattle since early in July, and a great deal if it ma- 
tured seed. 1 could have cut tHese pieces in August with 
profit had I so desired, and then had plenty of growth to 
have kept the stock in pasture, changing pastures each 
week." 

A''. 0. P. Synoground of Brown county writes: "I 
consider alfalfa and clover culture practicable in this lo- 
cality. I also consider the Turkestan variety superior to 
the home-grown varieties. Cut the field twice the first 
year and received four tons per acre. I have never cut 
any for seed. These crops have not winterkilled here." 



296 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

TENNESSEE. 

Prof. H. A. Morgan, Director Tennessee experiment 
station. — Alfalfa has been known in Tennessee for many 
years, but not until the general failure of Red clover, due 
to one or more species of Colletotrichum, and the search 
for substitutes for Red clover, were any serious efforts 
made to grow alfalfa in this state. On alluvial land 
along the Mississippi river in west Tennessee, in what is 
known as the Central Basin section of middle Tennessee, 
and on the richer lands of east Tennessee, alfalfa has 
been grown very successfully, and each year larger areas 
are being sown to this clover. Mr. L. Donaldson, of 
Lake county, gives the following relative to the prepara- 
tion of soil, etc., for alfalfa in the alluvial area of west 
Tennessee : "The land is plowed deep with large mold- 
board breaking plows in September or about the first of 
March. It is then harrowed until thoroughly pulverized, 
and either about October 10 or April i, two gallons of 
seed are sown, by machine or by hand. The harrow is 
used for covering the seed. We have no more trouble with 
the crop after seeding. The plants germinate and take 
root rapidly. I have known alfalfa roots to reach a 
length of two feet from the last of March to June 25. 
We frequently cut the crop five times per year. George 
Campbell Brown of Maury county states that he has sown 
alfalfa in March using spring barley as nurse crop, and in 
September with success. Land sown to alfalfa in 1901 
yielded four cuttings per year in 1902, 1903, and 1904, 
averaging from 16 to 18 tons per acre in the three years. 
Mr. Brown uses soil for inoculating, and believes he has 
gotten well-defined results from nitro-culture sent out by 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 297 

United States department of agriculture. At the experi- 
ment station at Knoxville, alfalfa has been successfully 
grown for many years. Heavy applications of farm- 
yard manure and the use of 300 pounds of acid phosphate 
and 25 bushels of lime per acre invariably insures large 
yields of alfalfa. Crab-grass, Panicum sanguinde, in 
summer and chickweed, Stellaria media, in winter are 
enemies to alfalfa in this latitude. These pests should be 
gotten rid of by the use of clean culture crops prepara- 
tory to the sowing of alfalfa. With plenty of stable 
manure, lime, and phosphorous, artificial inoculation 
seems unnecessary. Any soils of over a few feet deep 
may be prepared so as to grow profitable crops of alfalfa. 
This preparation is much more expensive on some soils 
than others. 

TEXAS. 

Prof. B. C. Pittuck, Agriculturist of the Texas experi- 
ment station. — Alfalfa should receive the attention of 
farmers in every section of Texas where conditions are in 
any way favorable to its growth. At present prices, 
after it is once established, a yield of one ton of hay per 
acre will afford a good profit, while yields of four and six 
tons, which are not unusual on favorable soils, make the 
investment exceedingly profitable. The present demand 
is much greater than the supply and bids fair to increase 
in greater proportion during the coming year. Its in- 
creasing popularity with the farmer is based upon sound 
business principles, as its value does not consist solely in 
its market price, but in its value as food for his stock and 
food for his soil. It will furnish green pasturage and 
hay of the best quality without materially impoverishing 



298 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

the soil. Many farmers refrain from planting alfalfa 
because some neighbor, far or near, planted on land ap- 
parently similar to theirs, and it died of the disease com- 
monly known as cotton root rot. It would be far better 
for each farmer to test his own land, for alfalfa may be 
affected by this fungus at one place and entirely unaffect- 
ed on ground only a few rods away. The value of an al- 
falfa meadow is such as to warrant a farmer in giving 
considerable time, labor and study to the plant, before de- 
ciding that natural conditions prohibit him from success- 
fully growing it. 

"UTAH. 

Aaron F. Farr, Jr., Cache county. — ^Fifteen years ago, 
when I began raising alfalfa, I had 40 acres, and for the 
past eight years I have had about 135 acres, all on heavy 
clay soil, containing considerable salt, and underlaid with 
very stiff, white clay. The soil is dry on top, but below 
a depth of 23^ feet is damp, and salty water is found at 
a depth of eight feet. Small grain was raised on the new 
land for one or two years, after which the ground was 
plowed in the fall, and again in the spring, harrowed, 
and well pulverized. Seed was put in, 12 pounds to the 
acre, two inches deep, with a press drill. The time for 
sowing is about the same as for corn, in April or May. 
If there is plenty of water, it is well to sow the alfalfa 
with oats, and then cut for hay the first season. Some 
of my land is irrigated, by flooding, three times in the 
season, by means of a large canal from the river. The 
more water is used, the more alfalfa there will be, but the 
hay from unirrigated land is less sappy than that which 
has been watered. The plant is not liable to winterkill 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 299 

here, and on sandy loam and gravel soils the full yield is 
attained the second year, while, on heavy soils, it requires 
three or four years. I have some that is 20 years old, and 
cannot say how long it will yet continue vigorous. There 
is difficulty in ridding land of the plant, unless it is 
flooded in the winter time. We have usually two cut- 
tings each season, with an average yield for each of about 
two tons to the acre, although some parts of the land 
yield four tons at each cutting. I have found it more 
profitable to raise seed than hay, and for this purpose I 
prefer the second cutting, using the self-rake, allowing 
the alfalfa to lie in small piles until dry, then hauling, 
stacking, and threshing, the same as wheat. The hay lies 
about 22 hours in the swath, 24 hours in the windrow, 
and one or two days in the cock, after which it is stacked 
in large ricks with a horse fork. If properly cured, it 
will not mold or heat, as it will if damp. On land valued 
at $30 an acre, the cost of the alfalfa, in the stack, is 
about $1.50 a ton. The cost of baling is about $2 a ton, 
the popular weight for bales being about 100 pounds. 
An average yield of seed is from 300 to 500 pounds to 
the acre. Threshers take one-sixth toll, and can thresh 
about 100 bushels in a day. The common machinery 
saves only about two-thirds of the seed. A bushel of seed 
weighs more than 60 pounds, and we put 175 pounds in 
a two-bushel seamless sack. The average selling price of 
the seed is about $3.50 a bushel. I have one piece of 
land, containing 60 acres, not irrigated, valued at $30 
an acre, from which, for ten years, I have cut one crop 
of hay, and one of seed, and realized an annual net profit 
of $1000 cash. As compared with clover and timothy 



300 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

for feeding farm animals, my opinion is that alfalfa will 
fatten quicker, but will not go so far. The pasturage is 
profitable and satisfactory for horses and sheep ; for hogs, 
one acre of it is as good as 23^ of Red clover, and for 
cattle, one acre is as good as two of clover, provided the 
land is dry. On wet land, the clover is better for cattle, 
and, as to bloating, the danger is just the same from the 
two plants. In my opinion, the plant will do well on side- 
hills, where the drainage is good, if the land is plowed 
deep, and the seed drilled in two inches deep and rolled 
with a heavy roller. Once started, the plant lives almost 
forever, on any soil, unless the wrong kind of a winter 
strikes it. I have an alfalfa root, taken up in digging a 
well, that is 21 feet long. The roots of alfalfa are sure to 
find the water, if anywhere at all within reasonable reach. 
John Jones, Utah county. — I have raised alfalfa 20 
years, and now have 250 acres, mostly on sandy loam 
upland; have some on bottom land, where it grows too 
rank for seed. The subsoil is light clay, with water from 
15 to 20 feet from the surface. On land with hardpan 
subsoil, it declines after a few years, unless irrigated 
often. In digging for water, we find the subsoil begins 
to get dry at about 18 inches, and continues quite dry for 
8 or 10 feet; then moisture increases until water is 
reached. We prepare ground by plowing in the fall, drag 
very fine in the spring, and sow as early as the season 
will permit, in order to catch the spring rains, using 20 
to 25 pounds of seed per acre. Our first cutting is made 
about June 20, and is a little weedy, but there are fewer 
weeds in later cuttings. We get about two tons the first 
cutting, if the stand is good, and about the same the 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 3OI 

other cuttings that year ; have no trouble here about win- 
terkilHng; standing water is injurious to the plant. Here 
alfalfa on uplands is watered three or four times each 
season ; some land needs only one or two floodings, while 
other lower lands have no irrigation. After getting a 
good start from the seed, we begin watering about May 
I, from small mountain streams. The first year requires 
water about every week; after that, once a month is 
sufficient. For hay, we begin cutting with the first bloom, 
obtaining 2 to 23^ tons from the first cutting, about 2 
the second, and from i to 1 34 the third cutting ; let it lie 
about two days before hauling to stack, being careful not 
to stack too green. For seed, begin cutting when seed Is 
ripe, the second crop being considered best. The grass- 
hoppers have been troubling the second crop to some 
extent, and we have on that acount been cutting the first 
crop for seed, using a reaper and separating with a thresh- 
ing machine. On a basis of 7 per cent interest on $30 
per acre, with five tons of hay per acre each year, it has 
cost about $1.55 per ton to raise alfalfa. We estimate $1 
per ton for cutting and stacking, and 60 cents per acre 
for water tax. It costs $2.25 per ton for baling, 100 to 
125-pound bale, the size having no effect as to the keep- 
ing of properly cured hay. From 8 to 10 bushels Is a 
fair average seed yield, the cost of threshing and clean- 
ing being about 40 cents per bushel. Baled hay is worth 
(free on board) about $6.50, and loose, about $4 per ton; 
seed sells for about 7 cents per pound. Alfalfa hay is 
preferable to timothy or clover, ton for ton, for feeding 
without grain ; with grain, our liverymen prefer timothy. 
We find alfalfa with grain equal to timothy for draft 



302 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

horses, but for drivers timothy is preferred. Alfalfa is 
considered better than clover by our hog raisers; 
it makes good pasturage for horses, and is better 
than Red clover for cattle. If cattle are kept con- 
tinually on the alfalfa, they are not very likely to bloat; 
the trouble arises from turning hungry animals on it. 
We use a gag, made of a stick about three inches in diam- 
eter, to force the mouth open, but sometimes have to 
make an opening in the paunch with a knife. Irrigation 
seems to improve the quantity without increasing the 
quality. The early cut hay has at least 20 per cent more 
value than the straw from the seed crop; we have had 
very good results from feeding the straw, as it always 
contains more or less seed. Alfalfa sown on clay soil, 
with hardpan subsoil, gradually dies out after two or 
three years; also when water is near the surface; when 
the roots reach water too near by, the plant dies. Sown 
on good sandy loam, it reaches its best yield about the 
second year; on heavier soils, about the third year. We 
have alfalfa 20 years old, as vigorous and good to yield 
as when started. It is preferable to clover for turning 
under, as the large roots make more manure, and the tops 
are much heavier. We grow alfalfa on our uplands 
without irrigation, but it requires two or three years 
to get a start; the first year, it makes a growth of 8 or 
10 inches, and wilts; second year, it grows a little taller, 
thickens up somewhat, and then, apparently, dies; the 
third year, it gains in height and strength, and yields 
a good crop, or even two crops, according to the subsoil. 
If the subsoil is hardpan, I would not predict the result 
as worth the effort. I do not see how Utah would get 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 303 

along without alfalfa. I have lOO acres, from which are 
cut from 2 to 2^ tons of hay per acre, and from 800 to 
1300 bushels of seed each year, and it has not been irri- 
gated for 15 years. Last year the seed yield was 968 
bushels, and the grasshoppers damaged it considerably; 
the seed brought 10 cents per pound on the track here. 
We make good beef from the hay alone, and have done 
so on the threshed straw. 

VERMONT. 

Prof J. L. Hill, Director Vermont experiment sta- 
tion, in Bulletin No. 114 says that popular interest in 
the question of alfalfa culture was never so great in Ver- 
mont as it is today. The result of 56 trials at as many 
Vermont points are summarized : as, permanent successes, 
12; temporary successes, ten; success at outset, eight; 
seeming success, five; questionable, seven; failure, 14. 
Thirty-six per cent of the trials may fairly be said to 
have been a success, and 68 per cent of these were located 
in the Champlain valley. Only 10 of the 56 alfalfa 
growers appear to have sown more than an acre. It 
should be noted that success with a fraction of an acre 
does not of necessity imply that an equal degree of suc- 
cess would be attained with plantings on larger areas. 
The preeminence of the Champlain valley in alfalfa grow- 
ing seems to be due to the character of the farming in 
that section and to the nature of its soil. Failures may 
generally be ascribed to one or more of several unfavor- 
able soil or weather conditions, to weeds, to disease, or 
to seed which either is inferior or from an unsuitable 
source. There seems to be a sufficient proportion of 



304 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

successes in the state to justify the encouragement of 
further trials. It is equally clear, however, that anyone 
planting alfalfa for the first time should not only give 
careful heed to the needs of the plant and to the methods 
of culture outlined later, but should begin by experiment- 
ing in a small way. The most significant thing developed 
by the analysis of the returns to date is that the crop seems 
to succeed best in the Champlain valley. Why is this? 
Probably one factor, not apparent on the surface, is that 
the men who have succeeded in Addison county are 
largely sheep breeders who value the crop so highly in 
their special industry that they are willing to give more 
attention to its culture than are the dairy farmers. It 
should be recalled in this connection, however, that the 
evidence reviewed indicates practical success with alfalfa 
at Plattsburgh and in adjacent Canadian territory. 
Without pressing the matter to a definite conclusion, we 
consider two things to be at least strongly suggested and 
-worthy to be borne in mind in connection with further ex- 
periments in alfalfa culture: (i) The chances of per- 
manent success with it are probably better in Vermont 
than they are farther south and east in New England. 
This may be in part attributable to soil conditions and in 
part to climate, the latter being associated with greater 
remoteness from the seashore. (2) In Vermont the 
chances of success in its culture seem to be greater in the 
Champlain valley than elsewhere. The reasons suggest- 
ed in the above may apply in explanation of this. 
The nature of the geological formations is also worthy 
of consideration. It seems not unlikely that the rela- 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 305 

tive richness of the soil of this region in lime and potash 
and its other chemical and physical characters make it 
especially favorable to alfalfa growing. 

VIRGINIA. 

Prof. Andrezv M. Soiile, Director Virginia experiment 
station. — In Bulletin No. 154 from this station we sum- 
marize as follows : Alfalfa is being grown with success 
in various parts of Virginia and the indications are that 
it will do well in humid climates, providing the soil is 
brought into suitable condition for its growth. Alfalfa 
has many useful qualities. It yields from three to five 
tons of cured hay in a year, and remains on the land for 
a long period of time when once well established. It 
grows best on deep, open, porous soils well supplied with 
vegetable matter. The roots of alfalfa are from five to 
15 feet in length, enabling it to draw much of its food 
from the subsoil. It thus enriches the land for succeed- 
ing crops and opens it up to the action of air and water. 
Land intended for alfalfa should be made very rich by 
plowing under legumes or applying farmyard manure. 
In addition, from 200 to 400 pounds of acid phosphate, 
Thomas slag or bone meal, with 100 pounds of muriate 
of potash, should be applied per acre. If the land is acid, 
which may be determined by testing with blue litmus 
paper, an application of 25 bushels of lime should be 
made. It is generally best to use the unslaked lime, 
which may be applied with a manure spreader, a grain 
drill or broadcasted over the land and covered with a 
harrow. Land intended for alfalfa should be carefully 
cultivated in hoed crops or summer fallowed so as to de- 



306 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

stroy weeds, the worst enemy of alfalfa during the early 
stages of its growth. Alfalfa may be seeded either fall 
or spring. When fall sown it can be cut for hay the next 
summer, whereas, the spring sown crop should be clipped 
several times during the first season and left to mulch the 
ground. Alfalfa seed is sometimes infested with dodder, 
which grows as a parasite on the plant. The orange- 
yellow threadlike appearance of dodder gives warning of 
its presence, and it can be easily destroyed by cutting and 
burning if taken at the outset. Alfalfa is frequently at- 
tacked by leaf spot in the eastern states. The disease is 
easily recognized, as its name indicates, and persistent 
clipping will generally eradicate it. The amount of seed 
to sow varies, but 20 pounds will answer as a rule. Al- 
falfa should be cut for hay when coming into bloom, as 
it yields more nutrients per acre at that time, and succeed- 
ing crops yield better. Alfalfa is not more difficult to make 
into hay than is Red clover. It may also be pastured 
to advantage, though there is some danger of bloat, and, 
owing to the high feeding value of the hay, it is doubtful 
whether it would be good practice to graze it in the East, 
except with hogs. Alfalfa being a legume has the power 
of assimilating atmospheric nitrogen under certain con- 
ditions. It is thus a soil improver. Farmers cannot af- 
ford to purchase nitrogen when they can gather it from 
the air through the action of leguminous plants. Alfalfa 
often fails, even though all the physical conditions seem 
favorable, because the bacteria which live in the nodules 
on its roots are not present in the soil. This deficiency 
may be supplied by getting soil from an old alfalfa field 
or from fields where Sweet clover or Bur clover pre- 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 307 

viously grew with success, or by means of artificial cul- 
tures. The Virginia experiment station, reaHzing the 
importance of alfalfa to Virginia farmers and the dif- 
ficulty of securing inoculated soil at a reasonable cost, has 
undertaken the preparation of pure cultures which it is ^ 
distributing at a cost of 25 cents per acre. Soil inocula- 
tion through artificial cultures is still in its experimental 
stages, but it seems wise that Virginia farmers should be 
given an opportunity to test these cultures at a moderate 
cost and determine once for all their real value under 
field conditions. The high feeding value of alfalfa has 
long been recognized. It is admirably adapted to the 
needs of all classes of live stock. It has been fed with 
profit to horses, cattle, sheep and swine. It can be so 
utilized as to largely take the place of wheat bran and 
other expensive concentrates. The plats of alfalfa seed- 
ed in the spring of 1904, both on the station farm and on 
Brush mountain, show the importance of soil inoculation 
and the advantages of using lime and phosphates on land 
intended for this crop. From a general review of the 
situation it appears that there is no reason why alfalfa, 
under good management, should not succeed in many 
parts of Virginia. 

WASHINGTON. 

F. M. Loivden, Walla Walla county. — In 22 years I 
have had experience with from i to 400 acres of alfalfa, 
on bottom, second bottom, and upland, with clay, sand 
and loam soils, with subsoil of hardpan and strong alkali 
from 18 to 20 inches below the surface, and water at 
depth of 18 to 20 feet. The soil is seldom moist all the 
way down, the dry soil beginning five to eight feet below 



308 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

the surface and ending within two or three feet of the 
water. After plowing deep and harrowing well, I sow 
in the spring, late enough to miss frost, 25 to 30 pounds 
to the acre; then cover, in light soil from one to two 
inches, and in clay soil less. During the first season it 
should be mowed so that the weeds cannot choke it out, 
and then there will be about a ton of hay to the acre to 
be cut in August. I irrigate with water from streams 
thoroughly in the spring and after each cutting, using 
enough water to soak the ground for a few days. New 
land requires more water than old, but the quantity 
needed is about the same every year. At three years the 
plant attains its best yields, and with proper care will not 
need reseeding. There are usually three cuttings each 
season, with an average of i^ tons to the acre, and I 
have known five cuttings. It is mowed for hay when it 
commences to bloom, and for seed any time before the 
frost comes, the second crop being best for the latter use. 
The seed is mowed, threshed and dried as any other clover 
is. The hay should lie before raking until it is thor- 
oughly wilted, then cure in cock two or three days. We 
stack in ricks 16 to 18 feet wide and any desired height 
or length. The hay will not heat if well cured before 
stacking. On land valued at $40 an acre, the cost of hay 
in the stack is about $1.50, and to bale this costs $2 a ton. 
The yield of seed is 5 to 10 bushels to the acre, and it sells 
for $4.50 to $7.50 a bushel, while hay brings $4, formerly 
$8. For threshing, a clover huller is better than the com- 
mon machine. The alfalfa straw is of double the value 
of any other straw for feeding. The hay grown without 
irrigation is not so rank as that which is watered, and is 
consequently more valuable as a feed; any is better than 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 3O9 

timothy, and equal to clover for cattle, but the seed must 
form in it to make it valuable for working horses. After 
cutting three crops in a season, I usually use the field in 
the fall for pasturing cattle, and it furnishes nearly double 
the feed that ,Red clover will, acre for acre. For hogs 
the pasturage is much better than clover, and I sow with 
blue grass and clover, on rich ground. For horses and 
sheep the pasturage is better than clover, but causes bloat 
in the same way. It is difficult to plow up alfalfa, but 
continued cultivation will rid land of it when desired. 

Oscar Drumheller, Walla Walla county. — Have grown 
alfalfa for six years, and now have 150 acres, part on 
bottom, some on clay, and a part on slightly sandy soil; 
subsoil is a thin layer of hardpan; below that a sort of 
gumbo, and underneath that a white clay. Abundant 
water is found at 10 to 18 feet, moist soil reaching to the 
water. Our land requires no special preparation for 
alfalfa; manure is spread on weak spots; we sow 20 
pounds of seed broadcast, about May ist, and harrow 
once to cover. Some cut it the first year ; some years the 
crop is not worth touching for either hay or seed; there 
is no trouble here from winterkilling. We never irrigate. 
The first cutting yields about three tons, the second, about 
two and one-half tons, the third, about two tons, and the 
fourth, one ton. For hay, cutting should begin when in 
full, bloom ; we never cut for seed, but the first crop is 
best. The season must govern the time for curing, 
whether 2 days or 10; it will heat and mold if not dry 
before stacking; no choice in size of stacks. On land 
worth $40 per acre, it costs about $1.50 per ton to grow 
and put alfalfa in the stack; baling costs $1.50 to $2 per 



310 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

ton, the bales weighing 150 pounds. Alfalfa hay sold for 
$12 per ton in 1890, and is now selling for $2.50; seed 
sells for 10 to 12 cents per pound. For cattle, alfalfa 
hay leads all others; for work animals, it is a little 
"washy," but we use nothing else; for pasturing hogs, 
one acr6 of alfalfa is worth two of clover, and it is found 
satisfactory for horses and sheep; alfalfa will pasture 
more cattle than clover, but is more productive of bloat, 
especially on windy days. The best remedy for bloat 
is to get the foreparts of the animal on high ground 
and splash cold water on its back; when all else fails, 
apply the knife to the left side. We prefer unirrigated 
hay, which seems firmer and less "washy." Alfalfa 
reaches its best yields about the third year, and will last 
20 years; it is not difficult to kill; it is similar to Red 
clover for turning under for green manure. All cattle 
here are fed on alfalfa hay alone. I have fed cattle in 
open yards in December, January, and February, and 
made them gain 160 pounds per steer in three months. 
If beef on the Pacific coast would bring 3 cents, there 
would be no better investment than alfalfa. In 1892, 
we sold hay for $60 per acre ; to-day it will not sell for a 
third of that. 

WEST VIRGINIA. 

Prof. J. H. Stewart, Director West Virginia experi- 
ment station. — Very little alfalfa is grown in West Vir- 
ginia. Within the past four or five years some stimulus 
has been given it by current publications, etc., but exten- 
sive growth has not obtained as yet. The attempts to 
grow it on our small farm at the experiment station have 
in fact been failures. However, there are a few small 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 3^^ 

tracts that have done well in portions of the state. Hon. 
T. B. Davis of Mineral county and E. W. McNeil of 
Hardy county are persons v^ho have been successful. I 
am frank to say, however, that the experiences and prac- 
tice thus far in this state have not proven it to be a de- 
pendable crop. 

WISCONSIN. 

Prof. R. A. Moore, Agronomist Wisconsin experiment 
station.— Aliali^ is receiving great attention in Wisconsin 
and dairymen have been quick to perceive its value. 
Through the efforts of the experiment station, alfalfa 
seed has been disseminated in every county in the state 
and crops have been grown which were highly satisfac- 
tory. Experiments at the station show that as much 
protein can be secured from one acre of alfalfa as from 
three acres of clover, nine acres of timothy or 12 of 
Brome grass. In this experiment four cuttings of alfalfa 
were secured, two cuttings of clover and one cutting each 
of timothy and Brome grass. Alfalfa seed should have 
its viability tested before the seed is purchased. Seed 
that does not give a germination test of 90 per cent or 
above should be rejected. We advise selecting high, well- 
drained land inclined to be rolling. A clay loam on a 
gravelly subsoil is best suited for growths of alfalfa. Sow 
in spring as soon as ground works well, putting on about 
twice the cultivation necessary for cereal crops. Where 
land is inclined to be weedy, sow three pecks of barley per 
acre as a nurse crop. If ground is free from weeds, sow 
alfalfa seed without nurse crop, using at least 20 pounds 
of seed per acre. Several hundred members of the Wis- 
consin experiment association have been carrying on tests 



312 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 

with alfalfa since 1903, and practically all have succeeded 
in getting good fields started. Bacteria-laden soil has 
been shipped to members of the experiment association, 
who are making tests, with directions for scattering on 
a small plot, in order to get the proper bacteria estab- 
lished in the soil. The sowing of some alfalfa seed with 
clover for the purpose of getting a few alfalfa plants 
established as bacteria distributers has been followed with 
good success. These lands when later sown to alfalfa 
result in good catches. Alfalfa should be cut when one- 
tenth is in blossom, and not later than the first week in 
September. We look for greatly increased acreage from 
year to year as our farmers learn the value of this great 
forage plant. 

WYOMING. 

^Asil T. Wilson, Fremont county. — For six years I 
have been raising alfalfa on first-bench upland, a gravelly 
loam, with a cement subsoil of a lime nature. Water is 
found at 40 feet; moist soil is encountered at a depth of 
12 feet from the surface, and continues until water is 
reached. A depth of one inch for seeding is best. Sow 
in early spring. If alfalfa and timothy are sown together, 
sow 20 pounds of the former to 6 of the latter; if alone, 
20 pounds of alfalfa. No weeds will trouble; cut either 
crop for -hay ; the first crop for seed. Watering after the 
last cutting will cause alfalfa to winterkill. Irrigate as 
early as possible, if dry, and whenever getting dry, also 
about five days before cutting; the soil being moist after 
cutting, the next crop will start up quickly. The larger 
the quantity of water used the better, if it runs off quickly. 
We obtain water from a stream. After the first year I cut 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 3I3 

twice, obtaining two tons each cutting. I cut for hay 
just as it comes into bloom, as it is not so woody 
and more leaves are saved. The first cutting is prefer- 
able for seed. When cutting for seed, wait until the curls 
get wet filled and black ; put it into cocks and thresh when 
dry. Alfalfa hay should be cut one day and raked the 
next ; then cock, and let it stand two or three days before 
stacking ; by so doing all the leaves are saved, and it cures 
in the cock so there is no danger of molding in the stack. 
My alfalfa in stack costs $i per ton, from land valued at 
$5 per acre. Irrigation costs 20 cents per acre. Baling 
costs $3 per ton, 150 pounds in bale. Seed yields six 
bushels per acre; threshing costs $1 per bushel. Prices 
for hay have ranged from $5 to $10 per ton, and $7 per 
bushel for seed. Alfalfa hay is equal to clover or timothy 
for farm animals. For swine pasturage it is better than 
clover; one acre will pasture 10 head of swine, gaining one 
pound per head each day. For horses and sheep it is good, 
and as good for cattle as clover, but dangerous, as they 
bloat and die. The best yields on upland are from three to 
five years after seeding; and, if watered at proper inter- 
vals, it will last 20 years. There is no difficulty in ridding 
land of alfalfa ; plow it late in the fall, level it down and 
mark it, then water, and let it freeze up in winter. Alfalfa 
for green manure is as good or better than Red clover. 
Without plenty of rain, I would not recommend growing 
alfalfa in any locality. Seed raised from alfalfa thin on 
the ground is best. 

John H. Gordon, Laramie county. — During the past 10 
years, I have had from 10 to 200 acres of alfalfa on sec- 
ond bottom and upland, with sandy loam from two inches 



3^4 THE BOOK OP ALFALFA 

to six feet deep, and below this soft rock, water being 
found at depths of 20 to 200 feet. I plow or break the 
soil the first year, and raise a crop of wheat or oats; the 
second year plow deep, sow about half a crop of oats, 
and when this is well harrowed, sow 20 pounds of alfalfa 
seed and cover it about two inches deep. To get the best 
results, this seeding is done about April ist, and there is 
no trouble here with weeds. In cutting the grain, the 
alfalfa is cut off too, but it does not grow tall enough for 
hay the first year. The plant does not winterkill, and 
reaches its full yields by the third or fourth year; I have 
found no necessity for reseeding any of my land. We 
irrigate from streams, the quantity of water used depend- 
ing on the season. There are generally three applications 
of water, about six inches each time. After the first two 
or three years, only about half the quantity used at first 
will be needed. After the first year I cut twice, and 
obtain about i]^ tons to the acre each time. The first 
crop is best for seed, and is harvested when the top bolls 
are dead ripe, raked the day after cutting, bunched for 
two days and then stacked, to be threshed with the com- 
mon threshing machinery, putting through twice. Five 
bushels to the acre is a common yield of seed, and the 
cleaning and threshing cost 50 to 75 cents a bushel. The 
hay is cut when the greater part is in bloom, allowed to 
lie about a day before raking, cured about three days, 
and then stacked, 14 to 16 feet wide, 60 feet long, and 
20 feet high. It does not seem to heat or mold here. The 
total cost in the stack is about $1.50 a ton, and baling, in 
100-pound bales, costs $2 a ton. Selling price of loose 
hay in this section is $5 a ton, and the seed, 10 to 12 cents 



PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES 3I5 

per pound in the market. The straw is worth about as 
much as the hay for feed. I am well satisfied with the 
general results of growing alfalfa here, and am now pre- 
paring 200 acres for seeding. Where it will grow well, 
it is the best forage plant ever discovered, being good 
feed for cattle, hogs, sheep, fowls, and, in fact, all ani- 
mals on the farm, while as a fertilizer it cannot be sur- 
passed. But one cannot do anything with it if there is 
not sufficient moisture to raise wheat or oats. 



INDEX 



PAGE 

Alabama, alfalfa In 16 

Experiments 231 

Alberta, alfalfa in 15 

Acclimation 8, 13, 28 

Acid soil, test for 45 

Unfavorable 44, 201 

Acreage, too great 87 

Address, Professor Spill- 
man's 9 

Adulterants 

32, 35. 36, 37, 39, 40 

Africa, alfalfa introduced.. 2 

South, alfalfa in 15 

Agricultural Depart m e n t 

bulletin 33 

Agriculture, Stover's; hay- 
caps 85 

Agrostologist's opinion .... 9 

Air shaft in mow 95 

Alaska, hay for 104 

Albuminoids .' 22 

Alfalfa fields 200 years old, 5 

Alfalfa, fails "here" 51 

Description 5 

Below sea level 15 

Improves land values ...204 

Origin of name 2 

Objection to 18 

Preparations 182 

Is "queen" 141 

Replaces other legumes. 151 

Synonj'ms 4 

Alfalmo 185 

Alfilaria, merits of ..227, 228 
Alsike and alfalfa com- 
pared 21, 148 

Analyses, corn 22 

Seed 33 

Soil, free 64 

Vary 137 

Animals, keep off field ...221 

Annual manuring 70 

Appetizer, alfalfa as an ..125 
Apples and alfalfa to- 
gether 224 

Arabian seed, Imported ... 8 
Arapahoe County, Colo- 
rado 243 

Argentine Republic, alfalfa 
in 15 



PAGE 

Arizona, alfilaria in 227 

Experiments 8, 2.33 

Army worm 219 

Asiatic seed introduced 7 

Assimilative restrictions ..134 
Avery, Prof. S., on al- 
falmo 185 

Bacteria, cowpeas i n - 

crease 48 

Humus helps 61 

In some soils 61 

In nodules 60, 198 

Introducing 46, 50, 51 

Introducing unnecessary, 

199 

Lacking, failure result... 66 

Need nitrogen 60 

Not fertilizers 201 

On cowpeas 49 

Spread on farm 194 

Bale, hollow 105 

Bales, heating 104 

Loading 105 

Poor prices for 104 

Round 104 

Size 104 

Shipping 104 

Baling 102 

New Mexico 281 

Machine, new 105 

Space saved 105 

Barley as nurse crop 58 

Leaves weeds 59 

Bare spots restored 71 

Barn, storing 95 

Beach, C. W 248 

Beadle County, South Da- 
kota 294 

Beak on trefoil seed 39 

Beef, balanced ration for ..135 

Cheap western 142 

Making 138 

Yield to acre 130, 131 

Bees and alfalfa 12, 175 

Belgium, alfalfa i n t r o- 

duced 2 

Berry, J. W., storing 96 

Bindweed 219 

Blackshere, J. R., report.. 260 
Blake, John, experiments. .233 



3i8 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 

Bliss, D. S., report 266 

Bloat, lambs do not 172 

Preventing 110, 113, 171 

Preventing in Kansas ...111 

Professor Mayo on 116 

Remedy 115, 121, 310 

Rules to prevent 115 

Tapping for 119 

Not due to food 117 

On alfalfa pasture 109 

Bloom, cutting in 80 

Cut In 88 

Blossoming, cut before ... 80 
Blue grass or alfalfa for 

pigs 158 

Blue-grass, yields 21 

With alfalfa Ill 

Botany of alfalfa 4 

Bowman, Prof. M. L., re- 
port 257 

Bran analysis 127 

And alfalfa compared... 

10. 79, 85, 144 

And alfalfa meal for 

cows 184 

Food value 132 

Sown with seed 56 

Brandon, Manitoba, yield.. 14 
Breaking sod hard work ..195 
Breeders' Gazette on sheep 

pasture 114 

Brewers' grains and alfalfa 

compared 114 

British Columbia, alfalfa 

in 14 

Broadcast seeding 55 

Brome grass and alfalfa 

compared 21 

Brooks, Prof. William P., 

report 265 

Brown, Benjamin, report. .260 
Brown County, South Da- 
kota 295 

Brown, George Campbell, 

report 296 

Bruner, Prof. L., on hop- 
per dozer 216 

Buckhorn In alfalfa seed.. 41 
Buckwheat bran, food 

value 132 

Buffum, Prof. B. C, on fer- 
tilizing value 192 

Bulletin, Alabama 232 

Farmers', baled alfalfa.. 104 
Farmers', irrigation .... 77 



PAOS 

Bulletin, Continued 

Farmers', alfalfa for 

hogs 160 

Kansas, hog raising 150 

Nebraska, soiling and 

pasture 123 

Nebraska, feed test 139 

New Jersey, feed values, 

132 

New York, fodder crops, 126 

Ohio, impure seed 33 

Texas, feedstuffs 127 

Utah, cuttings 128 

Utah, irrigation 74 

Vermont 303 

Virginia 305 

Wyoming, fertilizing 

value 192 

Bulletins, various hay com- 
position 75 

Buncher 87 

Burnett, Prof. E. A., di- 
mensions of ton 229 

Burning weeds 69 

Bushel weight ^1 

Butter fat, cost 150 

Butter, the marketable 

product 147 

Buyer to blame 41 

Buying soil, necessity of . . 61 

Dangers of 62 

Not necessary 61 

Cache County, Utah 298 

California, alfalfa intro- 
duced 2 

Cutting in 89 

Eleven cuttings 10 

Experiments 8, 2.38 

Feeding alfalfa alone . . 148 

Sheep fattening 205 

Camden County, New Jer- 
sey 279 

Canada, alfalfa in 14 

Time to sow 47 

Canadian Northwest yield. 14 

Cannula for bloat 119 

Cape Colony, alfalfa in 15 

Capons on alfalfa 187 

Carbohydrates and fats In- 
terchangeable 135 

Function of 135 

Not replace protein 136 

In excess 136 

In hay 76 

Lacking 125 



INDEX 



319 



PAOB 

Carbonaceous foods needed 125 
Carlyle. Prof, W. L., hay... 173 
Cattle, dangers In pasture.. 109 

Experiences with 110 

Growing, balanced ration 135 
Young, balanced ration.. 135 

Pasturing 235 

Utah, fed 25 

Chase County, Kansas 2G0 

Champlain Valley 304 

Characteristics, seed 37 

Chickweed, destroying ....297 

City use of alfalfa 187 

Clark County, Kansas ..... 2.58 
Clark, Thomas J., report... 280 

Clay, alfalfa on 15, 19, 17 

Climates adapted to 15 

Affects Irrigation 77 

Curing In dry 87 

Arid, effect on hay. 76, 88, 94 

Arid, Irrigation In 73 

Humid, curing diflSculties.SS 

Humid, difficulties 81 

Humid, effect on hay ... 76 

Humid, harvesting 82 

Humid, hay-caps ....85, 89 

Humid, haying In 94 

Humid, seed raiaing .... 92 

Clipping before bloom 67 

Invigorates 67 

Clothier praises alfalfa 10 

Clover, alfalfa following. .. .50 

And alfalfa compared. 20, 21, 

127, 143, 146, 148, 149, 222 

Beaten on thin soil 19 

Bur, adulterant... 32, 33, 40 

Bur, bacteria on 199 

Bur. everywhere 61 

Bur, seed recognized 39 

Bur, seed In alfalfa 32 

Feed value 126, 132, 145 

Hay making 83 

Hop, an adulterant 35 

Huller for threshing 91 

Pin 227 

Plowed for alfalfa 49 

Protein value 133 

Sweet, adulterants 

32, 33, 40 

Sweet, bacteria 60 

Sweet, everywhere 61 

Sweet, stock reject 40 

Sweet, seed described . . 40 
With alfalfa 51, 112 



FAGB 

Clover soil. Sweet, for inoc- 
ulating 60, 202 

Cocking at night 84 

Colorado, alfalfa precedes 

sugar beet 173 

Alfalfa in orchards 223 

Bees In 175 

Corn and alfalfa com- 
pared 1.32 

Cutting in 73 

Experiments 243 

Fall sowing In 53 

Feeding in 141 

Ground alfalfa for pigs.. 182 

Harvesting in 84 

Hay composition 76 

Hog rations 156 

Lamb feeding 173 

Losses from stacking 98 

Losses in curing 82 

Pasturing sheep 113 

Plowing a'lfalfa for other 

crops 193 

Seed 29 

Sheep fattening 205 

Siloing 102 

Value of stubble 191 

Wetted hay 81 

Colusca County, California. 241 
Combustion, spontaneous, 

See Fire. 
Composition, Irrigation in- 
fluences 74 

Prof. Ten Eyck quoted ..75 

Varies 149 

Compression, double 104 

Connecticut, experiments. .247 
Cooke, Prof. W. W., corn 

and alfalfa 132 

Co-operative Irrigation exper- 
iments 76 

Corn analysis 127 

And alfalfa compared. . .22, 
132 222 

Before reseeding 72 

Composition 136 

Falls 16, 17, 23 

Fed with alfalfa 125 

Feed value 132 

Fodder and alfalfa com- 
pared 148 

Fodder, feed composi- 
tion 136 

Fodder, feed value 145 

Fodder, analyses 127 



320 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 
Corn, Continued 

Fodder, protein value . . 133 

Fodder, value 12G 

Following alfalfa 193 

Increasing yield with al- 
falfa 194 

Lands, Illinois, alfalfa 

on 16 

Meal sown with seed . . . 5G 

Precedes alfalfa 4G 

Money from acre 25 

Silage and alfalfa for cows 

commended 152 

Stover and alfalfa com- 
pared 148 

Unprofitable fattening 

food 126 

Cortes brings alfalfa to 

America 2 

Cottonseed, analysis. 127 

Meal replaced by alfalfa. .151 

Hulls, analysis . 127 

Analysis 127 

Composition 137 

Cotton soils, depleted, for 

alfalfa 16 

Cottonwood river bottom 

lands 260 

Cottrell, Prof. H. M., al- 
falfa meal 183 

Early cutting 80 

Sowing 30 

Spontaneous combustion, 

98 

Country (Gentleman, dod- 
der 207 

Cover crop, winter before 

alfalfa 48 

Cowpea analysis 127 

Cowpeas, bacteria 49 

Before fall seeding 49 

Feed value 132, 145 

Increase bacteria 48 

Increase fertility 48 

Preceding alfalfa 46 

Prepare soil for alfalfa.. 46 

Winter cover 48 

Cows, number to acre ....205 
Scrub fed in Kansas ....143 

Sell farm produce 147 

Crab-grass, destroying ....297 

In seed 35 

Keeping down 112 

Persistent enemy 68 



Craters in center, prevent- 
ing 97 

Creep, in pasturing lambs. 172 

Cresceus eats alfalfa 107 

Critical time with alfalfa.. 73 

Crops, small 65 

Comparisons 130 

First season 65 

To introduce bacteria... 50 
Crop-worn land improved.. 16 
Cultivation, perfect, essen- 
tial 44 

Curing, Arizona 235 

Case in §3 

DifEcult after rain 82 

Dry climates 87 

Hay crops for -ii 

Important agent in 33 

Improper 83 

Kansas 259 

Losses in 82. 93 

New Mexico 283 

Pennsylvania bulletin ... 83 

Poor method 87 

Proper 83 

Rules 89 

Stack 90 

Test 97 

Utah 299 

Washington 308 

Windrow 87 

Cuseuta arvensis 42 

" epithymum 42, 207 

Cut for Cows 144 

Cutting after rain 82 

Before or after irriga- 
tion 73 

Colorado 246 

Dates, Utah 78 

Difficulties in humid clim- 
ate 81 

Early 21 

Early, objections 89 

Early, Professor Cottrell 

quoted 80 

Ensilage first 101 

First, not for seed 89 

For silo 101, 102 

Frequent 88 

In bloom 88 

Kansas 261 

Montana 271 

Number of times 89 

Rules 89 

Seed time 89 



INDEX 



321 



PAGE 

Cutting, Continued 

Second, for seed 92 

Third, for seed 91 

Time 80, 82, 89 

Utah 301 

Clover and alfalfa com- 
pared 20 

Early, most protein in.. 81 

Nine a year 10 

Number in Alabama 231 

Number in California ...242 

Relative values 127 

Six or more under Irriga- 
tion 72 

Time between 24 

Two preferred 88 

Dactylis glomerata with al- 
falfa Ill 

Damp hay, storing 97 

Dampness in mow 97 

Dangers in irrigation 73 

Danger from dampness... 97 
Dairy cow, balanced ra- 
tion 135 

Dairy interests enhanced. .205 

Products in South 14 

Dairies, alfalfa 26 

Dairying, alfalfa in 143 

Davis, Hon. T. B., alfalfa 

In West Virginia 311 

Dawley, F. E., dodder 207 

De Jarnette, J. B., experi- 
ments 241 

Pigs, death rate reduced ..155 
Deer Lodge County, Mon- 
tana 270 

Defective alfalfa seed .... 33 
Delaware, experiments ....248 

Seed for 29 

Department of Agriculture 

» experiments 8 

, Buying soil 62 

; Imports Asiatic seed .... 7 

Hog raising 160 

Depth roots go 6 

Description of alfalfa .... 5 
Desert, alfalfa In Nevada, 

16. 17 

Dew on hay, effects 85 

Dextrine losses In hay .... 81 
Dickson, W. H., experi- 
ments 249 

Difficulties of growing in 
1793 3 



FAOB 

Reduced by fall sowing. 49 
Digestible matter to acre. ,120 

Digestive restrictions 134 

Dimensions to ton 229 

Diseased soil for inocula- 

' tion 62 

Disking 70 

After freshets 44 

After turning 69 

Benefits of 71 

Each spring 70 

Fields after cutting .... 24 

Overcomes failure 71 

Splits crowns 57 

To kill weeds 59 

District of Columbia, yield 

in 14 

Distribution of alfalfa ..13, 14 
Dodder, annoying enemy. .200 

Cut with scythe 91 

Destroying, Alabama ...232 

Eradicating 210 

Fighting 207 

In alfalfa seed 32, 35 

Virginia 306 

Most dreaded 42 

Objectionable impurity.. 42 

Seed described 41 

Seed not adulterant .... 42 

Seed removing 42, 91 

Spreading 209 

To get rid of 42 

Dodson, Prof. W. R., alfal- 
fa for Louisiana 14 

Report 264 

Donaldson, L., report 296 

"Don'ts" 225 

Double compression 104 

Downing, Jacob, experi- 
ments 243 

Drainage necessary 18 

Drenching animals 122 

Drill seeding 55 

Favored by Spurrier .... 67 
Drumheller, Oscar, report. 309 

'Dry land' alfalfa 29 

Dry matter in corn 22 

Drying out, danger of soil. 50 
Duggar, Prof. J, F., Ala- 
bama 231 

Dunn, George W., report.. 288 
Dyeing with alfalfa seed.. 32 

Dying out 221 

Earthworms encouraging. , 46 



322 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 

Economy of alfalfa 151 

Of alfalfa in dairying ..149 

Of balanced ration 134 

Of labor 21, 25 

Of root growth 6 

Eight cuttings in Louis- 
iana 14 

Eighty feet to water 44 

Elements specially needed 65 
Eleven cuttings a year .... 10 
Elgin dairyman praises al- 
falfa 153 

Enemies 206 

Ensiling 269 

Kansas 151 

England, growing In 261 

Alfalfa introduced 2 

Examination of soil 64 

Example of success 17 

Exhibition stalk, large .... 6 
Experiment stations dis- 
favor nurse 59 

Favor inoculation 60 

Export alfalfa hay 104 

Exports, seeds 31 

Erf, Prof. Oscar, alfalfa for 

cows 149 

Erodium citcutarium 227 

Essentials of growing 44 

Of preparing soil 46 

Evaporation in curing .... 83 

In Mow 97 

Failures, because not cut. . 69 

Causes of 220 

Due to weeds 48 

Of seed 30 

Overcome by disking ... 71 

Redeeming 65 

To be expected 201 

Fairchild, D. G., Arabian 

seed 8 

Fall sowing 49, 52, .53 

Fanning mill 91 

Fanning removes dodder . . 42 
Farr, Aaron F. Jr., re- 
port 298 

Fat and carbohydrates in- 
terchangeable 135 

In corn 21 

In hay 76 

Not replaceable by pro- 
tein 136 

Fats in excess 136 

Lacking in alfalfa 125 



PAOS 

Fattening with corn un- 
profitable 126 

Farming, character altered. 17 
Farmers' Assistanr men- 
tions alfalfa 3 

Farms, fruit, alfalfa on ... 17 

Feed, quality 145 

Value, fodder crops ....126 

Values, various 145 

Feeding alfalfa alone ....148 

Before pasturing 110 

Colorado 141 

Cows economically 152 

Economical western ....142 
Experiments for milk ..184 

Hogs, Nebraska 159 

Tests 1,38 

Tests, Hog 156 

Tests, Kansas 138, 142 

Tests. Nebraska 1.39 

Tests, various cuttings . . 81 

Tests, Utah 138 

Waste in 144 

Value, Arizona 236 

Value, California 241 

Value, Colorado 247 

Value, Idaho 253 

Value, Kansas 259 

Value, Utah 300, 302 

Value, Various cuttings. 88 
Value, various crops ...1.32 

Feedstuffs, analysis 126 

Fertility, best means of im- 
proving 147 

Increased by cowpeas... 48 
Robbed by nurse crops.. 58 

Fertilization by bees 177 

Fertilizers, Alabama . .231, 232 

Specially needed 65 

Fertilizing, Georgia 250 

Virginia 305 

Long Island 285 

Fescue, meadow yields ... 21 
Festuca elatior with al- 
falfa Ill 

Fiber in corn 22 

Fields disked after cut- 
ting 24 

Of alfalfa 200 years old.. 5 
Old, in South Carolina.. 9 

Old, in West 9 

Fire for weeds 69 

Preventing 96 

Fires caused by wet hay . . 97 
Occur, when 98 



INDEX 



323 



PAGE 

Fires, Continued 

Professor Cottrell dis- 
cusses 98 

Rare 96 

Plesh forming 11 

Flooding at critical time.. 73 

Effects 44 

For second crop 72 

Floor, loose preferred for 

storing 95 

Florida, alfalfa in 15 

Fodder corn, feed value... 145 

Crops, feed value of 126 

Fodders, values of va- 
rious 145 

Fort Collins lambs 173 

Foster, Prof. L., cuttings. .128 
Foxtail, keeping down ....112 
France, alfalfa introduced, 

-n... 1, 2 

Oldest fields in 5 

■ Seed from 32 

Fraser, W. J., feed for 

cows 152 

'Fraud in alfalfa seed 36 

Freshet, disking after 44 

Freshets, effect 44 

Freezing effect on soil .... 195 

Harm from 50 

Freezing soil for seeding . . 52 
Fruit farms, alfalfa on ... 17 

Raising, alfalfa in 223 

FuUerton, H. B., report ..285 
Furnas County, Nebraska. 272 
Garman, Prof. H. report.. 263 
Gaylord Farm Sanatorium, 

248 

Georgia, experiments 250 

Germ killed 27 

Germany, seed from 32 

Germinability, storing im- 
pairs 30 

Germination, conditions in- 
fluencing 57 

Test seed for 28 

Gila River irrigation, 234, 280 
Ginther C. M., report . . . .254 

Gill, E. T., report 279 

Gluten meal, feed composi- 
tion 137 

Replaced 151 

Go-devil 87, 95 

Gophers Injure alfalfa ....212 
Grades and grading hay.. 105 



PAGE 

Graham, Thomas C, ex- 
periments 235 

Grain and alfalfa com- 
pared 161 

Encourages weeds 59 

Grange meeting at Mr. 

Worker's 18 

Grant County, New Mexico, 

280 

Grasses and alfalfa com- 
pared 21 

Grass, destroying by fire ... 69 

Pin 227 

Preceding alfalfa 50 

Protein value 133 

Grasses in pastures 116 

With alfalfa Ill, 113 

Grasshoppers 216 

Gravel, alfalfa on 15, 18 

Greece, alfalfa taken to... 1 
Grinding, time and power 

required 184 

Growth after cutting 21 

Delayed by cold water.. 73 
From imported seed ... 30 
Gumbo, soil, alfalfa suc- 
ceeds 17 

Habitat of alfalfa 1 

Influence 28 

Habits altered by locality. . 28 
Farm, changed by al- 
falfa 181 

Handling hay 89 

Little advisable 94 

Hanna, S. C, bloat Ill 

Hansen, Prof. N. E. in 

Asia 7 

Harrow, common not disk, 

70 

Harrowing after cutting. . 24 

To kill weeds 59 

Harrows 70 

Hartman and Weil, report, 

282 

Harvest, dates Utah 78 

Early for hogs ISO 

Harvester, Acme 261 

Harvesting 79 

By stock 107 

Few and many 88 

Humid climates 82 

Like grain 88 

Loss of leaves 80 

Operations, time be- 
tween 87 



324 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 
Harvesting, Continued 

Seed 89 

Time 80 

Time to begin 82 

Hawaii, hay for 104 

Hay and silage compared, 102 
Association, Natio n a 1, 

grades 106 

Association, Spillman's 

address 9 

Baling, California 240 

Composition depends on 

water 75 

Feed value 145 

First season 65 

Grades 105 

In mow, watch 97 

In windrows 84 

Lying in swath 84 

Making, Arizona 237 

Making, losses in 82 

Meal cheaper than baled, 

186 

Measuring in stack 228 

Money in 22, 23 

Poorly cured, value .... 87 

Preserved, color 94 

Prairie and alfalfa com- 
pared ..140, 141, 148, 150 
Prairie, composition ....136 
Prairie, dimensions of 

ton 220 

Prairie, feed value 145 

Value of 91 

' Values, Arizona 235 

Various, and alfalfa com- 
pared 148 

Yield to acre, Utah 78 

Hay-caps, advantages 85 

Described 86 

Favor baling 103 

Humid regions 84 

Size of 86 

Use of 85, 86, 89 

Haying, time between op- 
erations 84 

Hay-loader, belt 88 

Headden, Prof. W. P., stub- 
ble value 191 

Long roots 6 

Curing 82 

Seed storing 31 

Heating, prevent in tran- 
sit 105 

Seed 31 



PAOB 

Heating, Continued 

Seed stack 90 

Stack 90 

Heaving, danger of 50 

Height, normal 6 

Highmore forage testing 
station 294 

Hill, Prof. J. L. report ...303 

Hillman, Prof. F, H„ dod- 
der 42 

Hitchcock, A. S., baled al- 
falfa 104 

Feeding alfalfa alone ..148 
Quoted on Irrigation .... 77 

Hoard, Gov., brood sows ..1.55 

Yield 23 

Rotation 194 

Hoard's Dairyman, economi- 
cal butter 144 

Hogs, alfalfa or blue grass 

for 158 

Balanced ration for 136 

Cut early for 160 

Food for fattening 46 

Kansas 155 

Like alfalfa 23, 154, 237 

Over stocking with 161 

Pastured on surplus 

acres 87 

Pasture for 48, 108 

Hollingsworth, J. H 255 

Honey from alfalfa ... .12, 173 

Hoove, See Bloat. 

Hopper dozer 216 

Kansas 218 

Prof. S. J. Hunter 217 

Hopkins, Prof. C. G., pot 

cultures 202 

Report 253 

Hog raising, Kansas 161 

Horse raising, Ohio 166 

Raising 165, 166 

Horses, alfalfa for work ..166 

Alfalfa for driving 167 

Cheap feed for 188 

Injure pasture 109 

On pasture 170 

Overfed 166 

Thrive on pasture 109 

Humus favors bacteria ... 61 

Hunter, Prof. S. J., hopper 

dozer 217 

Bees 176 

Idaho, experiments 251 

Italy, alfalfa introduced . . 1 



INDEX 



325 



PAGE 

Illinois, alfalfa In 10 

Experiments 253 

Feeding cows in 152 

Pot culture experiments, 

202 

Seed for 29 

Imported seed 30, 31 

Impurities in seed 32, 33 

Income, alfalfa, 22, 23, 25, 20 

Indiana, experiments 254 

Yield in 23 

Infected soil 00 

Injuries from lime GO 

Inoculation, Alabama ....232 

Any method helpful 199 

Dangers of 02 

Seed not needed 04 

Failures expected 201 

Illinois 254 

Long Island '^65 

Massachusetts 200 

Methods various 03 

Necessary 200 

Not like magic 202 

Old theory 197 

Soil, not needed 04 

Soil, Sweet clover 202 

Unnecessary 200 

Virginia 300 

With diseased soil 02 

Insects carried by soil .... 03 

In seeds 31 

Introducing on farm 28 

Iowa, experiments 257 

Leaf spot In 211 

Pig raising 158 

Seed for 29 

Spring sowing 54, 55 

Irish, C. W., depth of root 

growth 

Irrigation after cutting 73 

Alfalfa under 72 

Before cutting 73 

California 238 

Colorado 244 

Co-operative experiments, 

70 

Effect on hay 70 

Excessive 72 

Gila River 234 

Harrow 24 

Idaho 253 

Influence on composition 74 



Irrigation, Continued 

Influence on seed 28 

Increases protein 75 

Necessary to saturate 

soil 78 

New Mexico .' .* '283 

Oregon 289 

Salt River 230 

Spring 73 

Utah bulletin 74 

Water to acre, Utah 77 

Irrigation Farming quoted ... 73 

Irrigated land, yield 10, 23 

Irrigations, number of 77 

Italy, seed from 32 

Jefferson, book dedicated 

to 3 

Jenkins, Dr. E. H., report. 247 

Jones, John, report 300 

Jones, O. S., report 295 

Jordan, Dr. W. H., opinion 

of feed 141 

Kafir corn preceding al- 
falfa 49 

Fed with alfalfa 125 

Feed composition 130 

Kansas, alfalfa flowers ...176 
Alfalfa for dairyman . . . 149 

Alfllaria for 228 

Annual top dressing .... 70 

Bees 175. 170 

Bulletin, balanced ra- 
tion 135 

Broadcasting at experi- 
ment station 56 

Cows on small area 144 

Curing in 87 

Early cut hay for hogs.. 100 

Ensiling ]51 

Crab-grass 08 

Eighty feet to water 4.5 

Experiments 258 

Fall sowing 53 

Feeding cows 144 

Feeding tests 138, 142 

Grass In alfalfa fields... 112 

Gopher Injuries 213 

Hay, composition of 70 

Hog raising 155, 101, 103 

Hopper dozer 218 

Horses raised 105 

Lands, values Increased. 204 

Low cost ration 150 

Prairie dogs 212 



326 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 
Kansas, Continued 

Profit from hogs 162 

Profit in 22. 23. 25 

Preventing bloat Ill 

Protein in cuttings 81 

Seed 29 

Seed raising 90 

Self-binder for harvest- 
ing 88 

Sheep fattened 171, 285 

Siloing 102 

Soiling and pasturing ...123 

Sowing 57 

Spring sowing 55 

Station disfavors salt ...100 

Station on baling 103 

Stock feeding 103 

Storing in 9G 

Time to sow 47 

Third cutting for seed . . 91 

"Wheat after alfalfa 193 

Wintering horses 167 

Work with scrub cows ..143 
Kenilworth Farms, Ari- 
zona 235 

Kent County, Delaware ...249 
Kentucky, experiments ...263 

Riefer H. W., report 251 

Kilgore, Dr. B. W., report, 

286 

Kirk, P. S., pasturing 113 

Yield 24 

Labor prices 204 

Saved 25 

Lake County, South Da- 
kota 295 

Lamb-feeding, Nebraska ..172 

Lambs, fattening 46 

Fort Collins 173 

On pasture 114 

Never bloat 172 

Pasturage for 48 

Quarter in seed 35 

Land, alfalfa on bottom . . 24 
Foul, unfit for alfalfa... 59 

Values improved 204 

Worthless made valuable 

25 

Langston, Alva, yield 24 

Lantz, Prof. D. E., gopher 

injuries 2] 3 

Large alfalfa roots 18 

Latitude influence on seed, 
28 



PAQB 

Leach'ng, winter prevented, 

^ • 48 

Leaf spot 63, 211 

Legumes, bacteria on 60 

Prepare soil 49 

Leaves and stems, feed 

value compared 82 

Broken by tedder 84 

Lost in curing ...80, 82. 183 

Help in curing 83 

Proportion to stems 128 

Saved by slings 94 

Pay for floor 99 

Value 79 

Lewis. D. C, report 278 

Light discolors seed 31 

Liggett. Prof. W. M., re- 
port 268 

Lime, air slaked 66 

Injuries 66 

Must be applied 64 

Needed 45, 201 

Prevents mold 100 

Small dressings advis- 
able 66 

Soil for 231 

Liming 249 

Connecticut 248 

Massachusetts 265 

Ohio 2S8 

Lincoln County, Nebraska. 274 
Linseed meal and alfalfa 

compared 127 

Feed composition 137 

Replaced by alfalfa 151 

Listing waxy ground 52 

Litmus for testing soil .... 45 
Iioader, disadvantages .... 95 

Loading, slings 94 

Localities influence seed... 28 

Logan County. Idaho 2r)2 

Long Island, experiments. .2R5 
Loss from impure seed ... 32 

Losses due to wetting 81 

In curing 82 

Louisiana, alfalfa in 14 

Cutting in 89 

Experiments 263 

Lowden, F. M., report ....307 
Lucerne, book dedicated to 

Jefferson 3 

Intermediate 76 

Origin of name 4 

Yellow 7 

Lumps, soil, bad 50 



INDEX 



327 



PAGE 

Mangels, feed value . . 126, 145 

Protein value 133 

Manitoba, alfalfa in 14, 15 

Mammoth clover yields • • • 21 
Manure before seeding • • • 64 

Manuring 46, 70 

Wheat land for alfalfa . . 48 
Mare, ration for brood,.... 

165, 169 

Marketing 137 

Markham, L. W., experi- 
ments 245 

Maryland, alfalfa in 16 

Seed for 29 

Massachusetts, analyses, 

clover 20 

Experiments 265 

Matthias, John 248 

Maximum yield, irriga- 
tion 77 

Maury County, Tennessee.. 296 
Mayo, Prof. N. S., bloat ..IIJ 
McEathron, George E., re- 
port 294 

McNeil, E. W., succeeds in 

West Virginia 311 

Meadow fescue and alfalfa 

compared 21 

Fescue and alfalfa 

yields 21 

Meal, Prof. Cottrell's opin- 
ion 183 

Superior to hay 184 

Sown with seed 56 

Meat production in South. 14 
Medicago denticulata, bac- 
teria 60 

" foliata 7 

'• media 76 

" sativa 4 

Medicine Hat, yield 14 

Medick, black, an adulter- 
ant 35 

Medicks, fifty species 36 

Meeting at Mr. Worker's.. 18 
Melilotus, bacteria on .... 60 
Merrill, Prof. L. A., fed 

horses 168 

On cuttings 128 

Mexican fields, old 5 

Mexico, alfalfa introduced 

in 2 

Alfilaria for 228 

Growing 244 

Michigan, experiments ....267 



PAQB 

Middlesex County, New 

Jersey 278 

Middlings, food value 132 

Milk, alfalfa in making ...143 

Balanced ration 135 

Cost of gallon 150 

Flow increased 152 

Tests 143 

The marketable product, 

147 

Value an acre 144 

Yield increased 146 

Yield, pasture and soil- 
ing 123 

Miller, Henry, experiments, 

238 

Miller, Prof. M. F., report. 269 

Millet, alfalfa sown with.. 51 

And alfalfa compared... 

146, 148 

As preparatory crop .... 52 

Before reseeding 72 

Best to precede alfalfa.. 49 
Between potatoes and al- 
falfa 48 

Fed with alfalfa 125 

Good to precede 50 

Feed value 132, 145 

Protein value 133 

Minimum water to apply. . 77 
Minnesota, experiments ...268 

Field, old 9 

Seed for 29 

Spring sowing 55 

Time to sow 47 

Yield in 14 

Missouri, alfalfa in 16 

Experiments 269 

Fall sowing 53 

Moisture absorbed by straw 

97 

Conserved before seed- 
ing 47 

Robbed by nurse crop.. 58 
Molasses, adulterated with 

265 

With alfalfa 185 

Mold, prevent in stacks... 90 

Moldy seed 27 

Monmouth County, New 

Jersey 279 

Montana, experiments 270 

Pasturing sheep 114 

Seed 3 

Sheep fattening 205 



328 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 
Moore, Dr. G. T., breeds 

bacteria 198 

Moore, Prof. R. A., report. 311 
Morgan, Prof. H. A., re- 
port 296 

Mortgage lifter 11 

Mow, fires 95 

Storing 95 

Mower not favored for seed 

harvest 90 

Mowing, early 21 

For yellow leaf 67 

Improves stand 67 

In wet season 68 

May be wrong 68 

Mulch not needed 68 

"Musts" 225 

National Hay Association, 

grades 106 

Neale, Dr. Arthur F., re- 
port 248 

Nebraska, alfalmo 185 

Alfilaria for ■...228 

Comparative yields 21 

Curing 87 

Experiments 272 

Fall sowing 53 

Feed tests 139 

Hog feeding test 159 

Hopper dozer 216 

Lamb feeding 172 

Lands, values increased.. 204 

Profit 22, 23, 25 

Sand hills 15, 17 

Seed 29 

Sheep fattened 171, 205 

Soiling 123 

Spring sowing 54 

Stock feeding 103 

Work horses fed 166 

Nebraska Farmer, on cut- 
ting 69 

Nebraska Farmer, various 

fields 148 

Nelson, J. P., report 279 

Nematodes in soil 62 

Nevada, alfalfa in 14 

Alfalfa, on sagebrush 

land 15 

Deserts, alfalfa succeeds 

in 17 

New Brunswick, alfalfa un- 
known in 15 

New England, cutting .... 89 
Seed for 29 



FAOE 

New England, Continued 

Soiling 124 

Success 304 

New Hampshire, experi- 
ments 276 

New Jersey experiments. . .277 

Hay composition 76 

Milk test 143 

Feed values 132 

Plant food to acre 192 

Seed for 29 

Yields of clover 20 

New Mexico, alfilaria for ..228 
Experiments 280 

New Milford, Connecticut. .248 

Seed, new preferred 30 

New York, alfalfa intro- 
duced 3 

Alfalfa success 17 

Dairymen claim profits.. 144 

Experiments 284 

Lands improved 26 

Old field 9 

Seed for 29 

Soiling advisable 124 

New York Station fodder 
crops 126 

Newman, Prof. C. L., re- 
port 293 

Nitro-cultures 249 

Nitrogen from roots 10 

From soil 52 

Gathered 190, 192 

Gathered by cowpeas . . 49 

Not needed 10 

Old plants need none ... 60 
Robbed by nurse crop . . 58 

Specially needed 65 

Sustains bacteria 60 

Nobbe, discovery of bac- 
teria 197 

Nodules formed 59 

North Carolina, experi- 
ments 286 

North Dakota, experiments 

286 

Turkestan alfalfa 8 

Nova Scotia, alfalfa un- 
known 15 

Nurse crop, effects of cut- 
ting alfalfa 59 

Iowa 25? 

Or not? 58 

Nutrient values, various ..145 

Oat grass yields 21 



INDEX 



329 



PAGE 

Oat hay, analysis 127 

And alfalfa compared ..148 
Feed value 145 

Oat straw feed value 145 

Protein value 133 

Oats, sown with alfalfa ... 51 
And peas, feed value.... 

12G, 132 

As nurse crop 58 

Before reseeding 72 

Following alfalfa 193 

Feed value 132 

Foster weeds 59 

Ohio bulletin, seed 33, 34 

Experiments 287 

Fall sowing 53 

Farmer sows thickly .... 58 

Horse raising 1G6 

Pasturing lambs 114 

Preliminary seeding .... 51 
Requisites in growing ..225 
Seed for 29 

Oil meal and alfalfa com- 
pared 140 

Oklahoma, cutting 89 

Pasturing 113 

Seed 29 

Yield 24 

Olmstead and Olmstead, 
report 272 

Ontario, lamb feeding ....173 
Yield 14 

Orchard, alfalfa in 223 

Orchard-grass, yields 21 

Feed value 145 

Protein value 133 

With alfalfa Ill 

Oregon, experiments 288 

Osborne County, Kansas ..260 

Otterson, James, report ...252 

Otis, Prof. D. H., feeding 

cows 144 

Pasture for hogs 163 

Overfeeding horses 166 

Over stocking with hogs.. 161 

Panicum capillare, a weed. 
69 

Panicum sanguinale, a 

weed 68 

Destroying 297 

Parasites in purchased 
soil 62 

Pasture, alfalfa In grass... 51 
And soiling compared. . .123 
Cattle 262 



PAOE 

Pasture, Continued 

Grasses, feed value 145 

Horses 262 

Lamb 48 

Only when established. .108 

Pig 48 

Poultry 180 

Sheep 262 

Stock 24 

Uplands 116 

Pasturing 107 

Cattle 113 

Horses 170 

Previous to seeding .... 47 

Rules for 116 

When to stop 108 

Pennsylvania, alfalfa Intro- 
duced 3 

Bulletin, curing 83 

Experiments 29C 

Seed for 29 

Soiling advisable 124 

Perry, C D., report 258 

Physical effects, root 

growth 6 

Effects on soil 21 

Phosphoric acid needed... 65 
Pig, See Hog. 

Pigweed in seed 35 

Pinal County, Arizona ....235 

Pin-clover 227 

PIttuck, Prof. B. C, report, 

297 

Plantain In seed 41 

Plants smother In wet land, 

44 

Smothered under wind- 
rows 84 

Weak with nurse crops... 58 

Pliny praised alfalfa 1 

Plow, character of tool ...195 
Plowing, deep, necessary . 46 

Difficult 195 

For other crops 193 

Importance of careful ..195 

Proper 221 

Recent not good 50 

Sod, rate of 195 

Stand renewed by 72 

Plowings saved 21 

Pods poorly filled 89 

Pork, producing cheap ....158 

Potash specially needed . . 65 

Potatoes following alfalfa. 193 

Precede alfalfa 48, 50 



330 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 

Poultry thrive on 180 

Prairie dogs, destroying ..215 

Injure alfalfa 212 

Preparation, proper 220 

Soil 46 

Preparatory crops 49, 50 

Presses for baling 104 

Press drills favored 5G 

Prices received 22, 23 

Profit reduced in feeding 

cows 146 

Profits 22, 23, 25, 144, 147 

Protection, winter 108 

From sun not needed ... 58 
Protein, abundance in al- 
falfa 125 

And carbohydrates not 

interchangeable 136 

Digestible 120 

Excess in ration 137 

Function of 134 

Highest in first cutting.. 129 

In clover 20, 21 

Increased by irrigation.. 75 

In early cuttings 81 

In hay 76 

Percentage in leaves .... 79 
Values, various feeds ...145 

Provence, seed from 32 

Prowers County, Colorado, 

245 

Purgatives for bloat 122 

Quebec, alfalfa in 15 

Quicklime very caustic ... 66 

Rain, cutting after 82 

Hay-caps 89 

Rain-fall effect on hay .... 75 

Influence on seed 28 

Raiscot, Alfred, report 270 

Rake, Monarch 262 

Side delivery 87 

Time to start 84 

Range of soils 16, 17 

Rape, analysis 127 

And alfalfa for hogs com- 
pared 162 

Ration, balanced 134 

Balanced, explained ....135 

Cost of 150, 151 

Money value 138 

Unbalanced 134 

Receipts 22, 23, 25 

Recleaning seed, impor- 
tance 32 



PAGE 
Recleaning to remove dod- 
der 42 

Redding, Prof. R. J., re- 
port 250 

Redtop and alfalfa com- 
pared 148 

Yields 21 

Renewing Growth 71 

Rentals of land 26 

Reseeding 65, 66, 71, 72 

Rhode Island, experiments, 

292 

Rib grass in alfalfa seed.. 41 

Rice meal, food value 132 

Richmond, Indiana 255 

Rick, measuring for ton- 
nage 229 

Rick preferred 100 

Roberts, Prof. H. F., adul- 
terants 35 

Robinson, J. W., raises 

horses 165 

Rome, alfalfa taken to . . . 1 
Roofinj for hay sheds .... 99 

Root growth 190 

Growth, physical effect.. 6 

System 6 

Roots, deep 6 

Nitrogen in soil from ... 10 
Spindling, with nurse 

crop 58 

Thumb-sized 18 

Value of 21, 191 

Rot, root 212 

Rotation necessary 194 

Roughness supplied by al- 
falfa 18 

Various kinds to feed . . . 145 
Rural New-Yorker, article 

quoted 17 

Rutabagas, fodder value . . . 126 

Rye bran, food value 132 

Grass yields 21 

Winter cover 48, 49 

Sacramento River, growth. 241 

Sagebrush, land for 252 

Land, new alfalfa on ... 15 

Sales 22, 23 

Salt River, irrigation 236 

Salt in storing hay 100 

San Mateo County, Califor- 
nia 238 

San Miguel County, New 
Mexico 281 



INDEX 



331 



PAGE 

Sand hills, Nebraska, al- 
falfa succeeds 15, 17 

Scott Bros., yield 22. 23 

Screened alfalfa seed rec- 
ommended 36 

Scrub-oak land for 285 

Seed, adulterated 33 

Analysis 33 

Bed, securing a fine .... 48 

Bees insure fertile 175 

Best costly 41 

Best from Provence .... 32 

Buckhorn' in 41 

Bur clover in 39 

Bushel weight 31 

Characteristics 37 

Cheap 27, 41 

Conditions influencing 

germination 57 

Cutting time 89 

Damp 27 

Dodder described 41 

Dodder in 32 

Exports and Imports .... 31 

Failures, imported 30 

Farmer to blame for 

poor bought 41 

First cutting not for ... 89 

For Illinois 29 

For Iowa 29 

For Ohio 29 

For Pennsylvania 29 

Formation, bees help in. 176 

Good costly 29 

Good, essential 27 

Harvesting 89 

Importance of pure 35 

Impurities 32 

Imported, Department of 

Agriculture 7 

Increased by bees 175 

Influences affecting 28 

Injuries by storing 30 

Inoculation not needed.. 64 

Insects in 31 

Introduced from Europe 

3 

Kansas 29 

Kept several years 30 

Kind to buy 29 

Large and small 38 

Losses in stored 30 

Moldy 27 

Nebraska 29 

Necessity of drying .... 90 



PAGE 

Seed, Continued 

New preferred 30 

Northern grown 28 

Noxious ,34 

Oklahoma 29 

Old 27 

Plantain in 41 

Pods, poorly filled 39 

Poor, cause failures ....221 
Precautions in buying . . 29 

Pure 28 

Purest in third cutting . . 91 

Quality of 27 

Quantity sowed 24, 56 

Raising, dry climate .... 28 
Raising humid climates 
2S 92 

Raising, Kansas 90 

Removing infertile 91 

Removing weed 91 

Returns 22, 23 

Rib grass in 41 

Roberts on pure 35 

Selection 27, 28 

Sifting to remove dodder, 

42 

Size of Bur clover 39 

Size of 38 

Storing 31 

Substitution of trefoil . . 39 

Test before buying 29 

Third crop self sown.... 72 

Third cutting for 91 

Types of 37 

Utah vs. imported 30 

Value in Arizona 235 

Vitality injured In stack. 90 

Weed in alfalfa 34 

Yield 91 

Yield, Arizona 237 

Seeding 44 

After disking unneces- 
sary 71 

Alabama 231 

Arizona 233 

California 238 

Colorado 244 

Drill or broadcast 55 

Fall 49 

Importance of 79 

July 66 

Kansas 258 

Manure before 64 

Pennsylvania .291 

Preliminary 51 



332 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PA.QE 
Seeding, Continued 

Soaking soil before 73 

Seeder, Cahoon 234 

Gem 242 

Seeders, various 56 

Seeds dead 27 

Fertile few 89 

Seedsmen to blame for bad 

g^^H ••••••••••••••••• 4 1 

Selection of seed 27, 28 

Self sowing third crop .... 72 
Self-binder, harvesting with 

88 

In seed harvest 90 

Selling inoculated soil .... 61 

Separator, J. I. Case 237 

Separators In threshing 

seed 91 

Shed, hay 99 

Sheep, dangers to, from 

pasturing 109, 113 

Eat bindweed 219 

Fort Collins 174 

Losses from bloat 113 

Old, kept off pasture ...114 
Shepperd, Prof. J. H., re- 
port 286 

Sifting out dodder 42 

Silage for cows 152 

Storing as 101 

Superior to hay 151 

Silo, advantages of using.. 151 

Cost of 152 

For alfalfa 101 

Siloing suggestions 102 

Slings in stacking 94 

Smead, Dr. D. C, horse 

feeding 168 

Smith, Prof. C. D., report.. 267 
Smith, Prof. H. R., feed 

test 139 

Smothering under wind- 
rows 84 

In wet land 44 

Snake River irrigation ...251 
Soaking soil before seed- 
ing 73 

Sod, breaking, for alfalfa.. 50 

Hard to plow 195 

Soil acid, unfavorable .... 44 

Acidity determined 45 

Adobe 239 

And seeding 44 

Baked, avoid 46 



PAGE 

Soil, Continued 
Bur clover for inoculat- 
ing 60 

Buying inoculated ....60, 61 
Buying not necessary ... 61 

Buying infected 60 

Buying, objections to ... 61 
Character affects irriga- 
tion 77 

Conditions demanded ... 52 
Conditions essential .... 40 

Depleted, improved 16 

Diseased, for inoculation. 62 

For alfalfa 15 

Gumbo 261 

Hardpan 16, IS 

Improved by alfalfa .-.16, 190 
Improve-nent due to al- 
falfa 16 

Inoculated for sale 61 

Inoculated, quantity to 

acre 61 

Inoculation 59, 197 

Inoculation, dangers of . . 62 
Inoculation, meal or hay 

for 63 

Inoculation, not neces- 
sary 63, 64 

Listed 52 

Never work wet 40 

Not exhausted by alfalfa, 

10 

Preparation 46, 296 

Preparing, Arizona, 233, 236 
Preparing, Colorado . . . 243 
Preparation, Washington, 

307 

Restrictions, obsolete ... 44 

Robbed of lime 44 

Rocky 19 

Sugar tree land 255 

Waxy 52 

Wet makes failures 44 

Soiling 107, 122 

Advised in East 124 

And pasturing compared, 

123 

Nebraska 123 

Pigs 121 

Sorghum analysis 127 

Bad to precede alfalfa . . 49 

Consumes moisture 49 

Fails to increase milk 

flow 148 

Fed with alfalfa 125 



INDEX 



333 



PAGE 

Sorghum, Continued 

Feed value 145 

Hay, feed composition ..136 
Protein value 133 

Soule, Prof, Andrew M., re- 
port 305 

South Africa, alfalfa in ... 15 

South Carolina, Experi- 
ments in 293 

Old field 9 

South Dakota, experiments, 
293 

South favors spring sow- 
ing 52 

Land values increased ..205 
Sowing time 47 

Southern farms, self sup- 
plied 14 

Southern seed 28 

Sowing dates 47 

Fall 49, 53 

Foul land 59 

Spring disadvantages ... 53 

Spring or fall ? 52 

Spring, on wheat ground, 

48 

Points to remember .... 47 

Time, South 47 

Time, Central States 47 

Sows, brood, Mississippi. . .155 
Like alfalfa 154 

Soy beans, feed value ....145 
Feed composition 137 

Spain, alfalfa introduced, 1, 2 
Takes alfalfa to America, 

I 2 

Spillman, Prof. W. J., 
opinion 9 

Spontaneous combustion, 
See Fire. 

Spot, leaf 211 

Spots, bare, in lodged nurse 

crop 59 

Restoring bare 71 

Spotted leaf, mowing for.. 67 

Spring or fall sowing? .... 52 

Spring sowing, disadvan- 
tages 53 

Sowing favored 53 

Sowing, importance of 
early 58 

Spurrier on alfalfa 3 

Favors drills 67 

Stack, curing in 90 

Elevate bottom of 100 



PAOa 

Stack, Continued 

Fires in 95 

Protect top 100 

Sweating in 90 

Stacks, condemned 99 

Covering seed 90 

Preventing mold in .... 90 

Stacker, Landen 235 

Stacking, conditions 100 

Dry 93 

In ricks 259 

Losses from 98 

Operations in 87 

Precautions 90 

Seed crop 89 

Slings recommended ... 94 

Stadmueller, F. H 248 

Stand, ideal 57 

Improving 67 

Increasing 51 

Plowing to renew 72 

Poor 27, 30, 54 

Securing good 220 

Thickening 72 

With nurse crop 58 

Starch in corn 22 

Needed by bacteria 60 

Steers pick up on alfalfa ..125 

Stellaria media, destroying, 
297 

Stems and leaves, food 
value compared 82 

Stewart, Prof. J. H., re- 
port 310 

Stock, best way to market 

alfalfa 137 

Fed, Utah 25 

Injure alfalfa 107 

Keep off field 221 

Stodder, J. F., bloat 112 

Storer, Prof. F. H., hay- 
caps 85, 8G 

Storing 93 

As silage 101 

In barn 95 

In evening 97 

Seed 31 

Stover and alfalfa com- 
pared 140, 148 

Fed with alfalfa ...125, 144 
Protein value 133 

Straw, feed value 145 

Feeding value, Colorado, 

245 

For stack feed 91 



334 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAGE 
Straw, Continued 

Money in 22, 23 

On damp hay 97 

Protein value 133 

Value of 91, 240 

Stubble, value of 21, 191 

Stubbs, Dr. W. C, experi- 
ments 264 

Subsoil, tough, roots in ... 18 
Subsoiling effects of alfalfa, 

16, 194 

Substitute for alfalfa 36 

Substitutes, recognizing ... 40 
Substitution of trefoil for 

alfalfa 39 

Success depends on cultiva- 
tion 44 

Typical in New York ... 17 

Sugar and alfalfa 185 

Sugar beet dependent on 

alfalfa 173 

Sugar beets, feed value.... 

126, 145 

Protein value 133 

Sugar, losses in hay 81 

Sun not greatest curing 

agent 83 

Swath, alfalfa lying in .... 84 
Sweating before baling. .. .103 

In stack 90 

Sweet clover In alfalfa 

seed 32 

Clover soil for inoculation, 

60, 202 

Swine, See Hogs. 

Swing seeder 56 

Synoground, N. O. P., re- 
port 295 

Syracuse, alfalfa near 17 

Sysonby eats alfalfa 167 

Taliaferro, Prof. W. T. L., 

opinion 16 

Tapping for bloat 119 

Taproot 6 

Taylor, Prof. Frederick W., 

report 276 

Tedder, loss from using ... 84 

Starting 84 

Ten Eyck, Prof. A. M., 

burning weeds 69 

Dimensions of ton 229 

Hay 76 

Hay composition 75 

Silo 102 



„ PAGE 

Tennessee, experiments ...296 
Testing soil for acidity ... 45 
Texas, alfalfa cut nine 

times 10 

Alfilaria for 228 

Bulletin, feed stuffs 127 

Curing 87 

Cutting 80 

Experiments 297 

Yields 9 

Thawing, harm from 50 

Thickening stand 72 

Thompson, W. O., report... 274 
Thorne, Prof. Charles E., 

report " 287 

Threshing made easy 90 

Time between cuttings 24 

To cut 89 

To sow 47 

Timothy and alfalfa com- 
pared.. 21, 79, 127, 148, 222 

Alfalfa sown with 51 

Before alfalfa 50 

Fodder value ..126, 132, 145 

Protein value 133 

Ton, cubic feet in 229 

Top-dressing annual 70 

Benefit of 74 

Trampling, effects of 59 

Transportation, solving 

problems 186 

Trefoil seed in alfalfa 32 

Yellow, adulterant 33 

Yellow, in alfalfa 36 

Yellow, beak on seed ... 39 
Yellow, chief adulterant.. 35 
Yellow, distinguished ... 39 
Yellow, size of seed .... 38 
Yellow, to distinguish 

seed 37 

Yellow, recognizing seed. 39 

Trocar for bloat 119 

Tubercles formed 59 

Office of 197 

Turkestan, alfalfa 7, 29 

Alfalfa, North Dakota... 8 
Alfalfa, South Dakota... 294 

Turnips, feed value 145 

Utah bulletin, nutrients ...131 
Bulletin, various cut- 
tings 128 

Bulletin, irrigation 74 

Bulletin, Utah County, 

Utah 300 

Co-operative work 78 



INDEX 



335 



PAGE 

Utah, Continued 

Dates of cutting 78 

Experiments 298 

Experiments, early cut- 
ting 81 

Fall sowing 53 

Feeding test 138 

Hardy seed 92 

Hay, composition 76 

Horsef aeding 1G8 

Reports profits 25 

Seed 29 

Seed not favored 92 

Seed sown by Cottrell... 30 

Shoat raising 156 

Water applied In 77 

Value, leaves 79 

Straw 91 

Poorly cured hay 87 

Values received 25 

Feed, various 145 

Varieties 6 

Alleged 28 

Ventilation in hay shed ... 99 
Vermont, experiments. .15, 303 

Virginia, experiment 305 

Vitality, injured in stack.. 90 
Voorhees, Dr. E. B., re- 
port 277 

Wallace, Henry, spring 

sowing 54 

Wallaces' Farmer, spring 

sowing 54 

Walla Walla County, Wash- 
ington 307, 309 

Wallingford, Connecticut.. .248 
Washing, soil, prevented... 48 

Washington, yield 10, 23 

Experiments 307 

Waste feeding cows, 

144, 140, 152 

Water, effect on hay com- 
position 76 

Cold, delays growth .... 73 
Too much irrigation .... 72 
Effects on composition of 

hay 74, 75 

Quantity to acre, Utah.. 77 
Eighty feet below sur- 
face 44 

Amount required, Ari- 
zona 234 

Watrous, Prof. F. L., al- 
falfa in orchards 223 



PAGE 

Watson, Prof. George C, 

report 290 

Watson ranch, horses fed 

alfalfa 106 

Wayne County, Indiana... .254 

Weed seeds in alfalfa 

32, 27, 34, 41 

Seeds removing 91 

Weeds, burning 69 

Carried by soil 63 

Chief enemies 206 

Failures due to 48 

Fewer in third cutting. . 91 

In horse pasture 110 

Keeping down 47 

Kill, before seeding 206 

Not prevented by nurse 

crop 59 

Poor farming causes ...206 

Preventing 47 

Repressed 46 

Retarded by clipping ... 08 

Subduing in July 66 

Weevils in seed 31 

Weight of bushel 31 

West Virginia, experiments, 

310 

Wet feet, alfalfa can't 

stand 18, 44, 212 

Wetting delays curing 81 

Wheat and alfalfa com- 
pared 19, 25 

Following alfalfa 193 

Increasing yield 194 

Straw, protein value 133 

With alfalfa 51 

Wheelbarrow seeder 56 

Wheeler, Dr. H. J., report.. 292 
Widtsoe, Prof. J. A., nu- 
trients 131 

Wilcox, Lute, quoted 73 

Williams, C. H., pasturing 

sheep lit 

Wilson, Prof. James W., re- 
port 293 

Wing, Joseph E 287 

Curing 83 

Horse raising 166 

Pasturing lambs 114 

Preliminary seeding .... 51 

Windrows, curing in 87 

Leaving hay in 84 

Smothering under 84 

Wisconsin, brood sows ....155 
Report ..311 



336 



THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



PAOB 
Wisconsin, Continued 

Time to sow 47 

Wintering sows 156 

Yield 9, 23 

Witch-grass less bad than 

crab-grass 69 

Woodford, J. E., hog rais- 
ing 163 

Work animals, alfalfa for.. 14 
Worker's, grange meeting 

at Mr 18 

Worm, army 219 

Worn-out soils restored ... 16 
Wyoming, fertilizing value 

of alfalfa 192 

Seed 29 

Xerxes carried alfalfa to 

Greece 1 

Yield, acre 126 

Affected by irrigation ... 77 
Alfalfa and grass com- 
pared 21 

Arabian alfalfa 8 

Arizona 234 

Below sea level 15 

Best when no nurse crop. 59 
Butter, pasture and soil- 
ing 123 

Compared with clover... 20 

Corn and alfalfa 22 

District of Columbia ... 14 

1815 3 

Fodders, various 148 



PAGE 

Yield, Continued 
Increased by irrigation . . 74 

Indiana 24 

Irrigations affect 77 

Irrigated land 10, 23 

Largest annual 128 

Louisiana 14 

Manitoba 14 

Maximum under irriga- 
tion 78 

Medicine Hat 14 

Milk increased 146 

Minnesota 14 

New Jersey 20 

Not impaired by hogs . . . 108 

Oklahoma 24 

Ontario 14 

Reduced by wrong cut- 
ting 80 

Seed 91 

South Africa 15 

Turkestan, North Da- 
kota 8 

Twelve tons under irriga- 
tion 72 

Washington 10 

Wisconsin 23 

Yields, big, poor land .... 65 

Irrigation, Utah 78 

Profitable 22, 23 

Texas 9 

Wisconsin 9, 23 

Zoller, Isaac, report 284 



DEC 6 1906 



